


Follow Our Way

by bythelightofthenight



Series: the 100 rewrite [2]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/F, F/M, Friendship, M/M, season two, still a massive fix-it fic, the tagged characters have all have pov scenes this season
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-05-05
Packaged: 2018-09-25 04:34:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9802808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bythelightofthenight/pseuds/bythelightofthenight
Summary: Raven went to find the 100 prisoners who were sent to the ground, her brother among them. Now, The Ark has come down as well, and most of her friends have vanished into thin air. The remaining group is stuck between the Arkers taking over and trying to locate their missing people with the help of old friends and new allies.Wells is stuck between two worlds as he learns more about the ground and its people. He has a duty to his own, but there’s new world out there waiting for him.After waking up inside Mount Weather, Monty is trying to figure out what happened to The Ark after it crashed, while Clarke’s causing trouble as she tries to find a way out.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's season two time get ready for me to unleash all my pent-up need for romantic mushy writing bc here comes teh romance
> 
> if you haven't read part one aka season one, you're not really gonna know what the shit's going on so if you clicked only for clexa i'd say, not to brag, but it's pretty good so you should check it out it's only under 30k so .... 
> 
> [also this gifset still exists hello](http://alecilghtwood.tumblr.com/post/145672679212/)
> 
> so chapter one here doesn't include a whole lot of warnings so hop in m'friends

“Jaha, you're blocking the line! Keep moving.” 

Wells smiles apologetically to the woman, his old teacher, he was talking to and moves on. The yard is full of people on their break, spread out in the afternoon sun. 

He doesn't feel very popular in the crowd. The rough landing had truly loosened the tongues of those who used to be wary of him as the chancellor’s son. 

Wells moves quickly to sit with his friends to avoid more attention. Roma manages a tired smile, Monroe looks like they might be sleeping with their eyes open. Jones and Mbege lean their shoulders together to stay upright. 

It's not that they're not used to physical labor, but how they spend every free waking moment trying to locate the rest of their friends. 

When they finally united with the remainder of the Arkers, they were almost out of patience. Raven still needed proper medical care, and they were tired of sitting around. They were led to the wreckage of The Ark, where the survivors had set up camp. 

Things moved fast, but only for a moment. Bellamy was immediately arrested despite their objections. The first time Wells saw his father in months was just as he was arguing with a guard. 

“It was a misunderstanding. He doesn't need to be taken in!”

“Wells?”

His father looks roughed up, but healthy, _alive_. When Wells hugs him, his heart beats loudly against his chest, _alive_. 

“You made it.”

“I'm sorry.”

He pulls back, frowning. “For what?”

“For not knowing where you were. I don't know how you ended up on that ship, but this was never supposed to happen.”

“I-I'm okay. We survived. And you were shot! Dad, Bellamy's innocent. He was forced to do it.”

“You don't have to worry about any of that.”

“He's my friend.”

“He's your... friend.” 

“What happened to the uprising?”

“They set off a bomb before commandeering a dropship. They were all killed in the landing.” 

“Well... then you have to hear him out! You'll know he's not lying. Please, dad.”

His father promised to meet with Bellamy. Wells didn't tell him about Abby yet. Raven was still in her care and he didn't trust her one bit. 

The reasons behind the 100 being sent down still aren’t clear to most. It was sold off as a part of the mutiny, that they’d wanted a test run before going down themselves. 

Raven was slowly getting better. As soon as she was walking with crutches, they arrested her as well. She was still getting her strength back, but the prognosis was that there's a chance the damaged nerve endings could still at least partially heal. Wells could tell she was clearly downplaying the amount of pain she was in, but he didn't say anything. For now. 

“Have you heard anything?” Roma asks quietly. 

“Not yet. But they should be done any minute now.” 

Bellamy and Raven both await sentencing in holdup. Abby and Kane have been adamant in the process but his father has the final say. Still, Wells has concocted half a dozen escape plans just in case something goes wrong. 

It's not until the end of the day that anything happens. They're ready to turn in for the night when Raven and Bellamy walk out of the main structure. 

The five of them break into a run.

“What happened?”

“We're clear”, Raven says, accepting Jones’ hug. 

“Barely”, Bellamy huffs. “If Kane had his way, I’d be executed on the spot.” 

“Abby's not too happy I'm still alive either.” 

“But they cleared you of everything?”

“They had to. Your dad completely blocked them.” Raven looks around the yard. “Is Lincoln still not here?”

Wells feels his cheeks burn all of a sudden for no reason and he's grateful it's undetectable. “He's still at the village. I told him to wait out the whole mess here.” 

“Can we finish this tomorrow?” Bellamy rubs his eyes. “I need to sleep.”

“Come on, I'll show you where there's still room.” Mbege and Jones go with him towards the tents. Roma and Monroe excuse themselves too and head to bed. 

“You haven't told your dad about Lincoln.”

It's not a question.

“I mean - I told him we cleared the air with the groundspeople.”

Raven gives him a pointed look. “He's our friend. Kind of. He's your friend.”

“It doesn't feel like these worlds belong together, you know?”

“We don't really have a choice.” 

“I guess. Maybe it'll pass.”

Raven gives him an encouraging smile. “Good night, Wells.”

They're still pretending he doesn't realize the tent she slips into is Bellamy's. There's a lot to get used to. 

\--

The birds start singing early. She'd missed the sound in lockup where the walls of The Ark kept all noise outside. 

Raven burrows closer to the heat of Bellamy's body beside her. His bare chest radiates warmth and comfort under the covers, and Raven lets his sleep-heavy body curl around hers. 

Octavia's asleep on the bunk next to them, just the top of her head showing from under the mess of blankets. As much as Raven would like to wake Bellamy up by climbing on top of him, the homely feeling of family is painfully good. It makes her miss Finn more than before, but in the most healing way. 

The Blakes wake up almost simultaneously. Bellamy starts stirring behind her just as Octavia's head pops out of the blanket mountain. 

“Morning”, Bellamy croaks into her hair. 

Octavia sits up, eyeing the tent quietly. She spots her shoes and tugs them on. Bellamy leans on his elbow as he watches her, his other arm draped over Raven’s hip. 

“You wanna get breakfast?” 

Octavia nods without looking up from her shoes. 

“You want me to go with you?”

Octavia shrugs. She stands up and slips out of the tent, letting the cool morning breeze in. 

“She okay?” Raven asks lightly. 

“Yeah. Sometimes she doesn't talk, but it's fine. She'll let me know if something's wrong.” Bellamy stretches languidly before slumping back down. “How's your leg?”

“Numb. Could be worse.” 

“You want me to get you breakfast here?”

“I can walk”, she huffs, pushing herself up. 

“Of course you can.”

“Come on then, slowpoke. I'm hungry.”

Bellamy rolls off the bunk and stretches again. Raven eyes his arms appreciatively, and he smirks in response. 

“Hurry up. You look like you could use some protein.” 

Bellamy scoffs in mock-offense and makes a show of flexing as he pulls on his shirt. 

They head after Octavia into the fresh morning air. Monroe whistles at them when they arrive together. Bellamy's cheeks turn a sweet shade of pink despite trying to appear nonchalant. 

\--

Wells waves her over when she's getting herself some water after having just introduced Bellamy and Octavia to Sinclair. Bellamy was surprisingly nervous about it, but like she knew, they got along just fine. And having Sinclair back has lifted a weight off her shoulders.

Wells looks excited, like he has to hold himself back. 

“What's up?”

Wells keeps his voice low. Barely. “I spoke to Lincoln this morning.”

_Ah._

“Anya's accepted our peace offering, but they're still discussing, well, the rest of us.”

“What about the others?”

Wells’ smile falls slightly. “They don't seem to be too sure about taking action.”

“Didn't Lincoln find anything?”

“Not really...”

Raven sighs. “So what now?”

“I-I don't know.”

She watches people bustling around the camp with a frown. Her mind is working fast, scoping out their options and possible outcomes. 

“Is Lincoln still out there?” 

“Yeah. I mean... I was gonna go see him again after work...”

“Take me with you.”

“What are you thinking?”

“I need him to take me to Anya.”

Wells’ brows rise. “What are you gonna do?”

“I'll figure it out when I get there.”

\--

She doesn't tell Bellamy because, well, he's the voice of reason and she doesn't need that right now. That leaves Wells to tell him once she's already far gone.

Lincoln doesn't look happy with the plan either. “She got shot just weeks ago. She shouldn't be walking anywhere.” 

“Okay, I'm _she_ so stop talking over my head. I can walk wherever the fuck I want. So would you kindly take me to your leader?”

Lincoln snorts, glancing at Wells and receiving nothing but a shrug in reply. 

“Fine. But I'm not carrying you.” 

“No problem.” Raven pats her thigh. She's got the prototype of the leg brace she's been building strapped on. It should get her there and back without further damage. “Let's go.”

“I guess I'll see you soon”, Wells says, sounding disappointed. “Keep an eye on her, will you?”

Lincoln lets out a long suffering sigh. 

“Thank you.”

Lincoln touches his shoulder. His hand slides down his arm as they get going. Raven can't help shooting amused looks at the man walking next to him. 

“Stop looking at me like that”, Lincoln grunts. 

“Like what?”

“Like you're dying to say something.”

Raven flashes him an innocent grin. “I'm not saying anything. Except that he's totally into you, and you're being a wuss for doing nothing about it. Well - now I'm not saying anything.” 

“Thanks for the insight.”

“You're welcome.”

They’re closer to Lincoln’s village than before, the walk taking only half an hour even with Raven’s slow pace. She barely notices they’ve reached the edge of the forest after focusing solely on getting up the densely wooded hill. 

Just like the market she got to see, the village seems like one out of a fairytale. The houses are small and simple, doors and windows open to the people mulling around in the wide streets. 

This time the people don't mistake her as one of their own. They eye her warily, unmoving when she passes alongside Lincoln. 

They don't stay above ground for long. A house that looks like any other holds a tunnel. It's a deep descend into the earth. While it's dark, Lincoln doesn't seem to have a problem navigating. 

The light is soft at the end. They pass following tunnels, heavy doors and people effectively minding their business. 

“I'll let you go in on your own”, Lincoln says, pointing to a door. 

“Anya's in there.”

“Yes. It's the command center.” 

Raven nods, bracing herself. She pushes the door open and steps inside. Anya has her back to her, but she turns around at the sound of her entering. 

The walls of the room are covered in monitors reflecting blue light on them. Anya doesn't say a word. 

Raven takes a deep breath. “I know it's a bad time --”

“Try me”, Anya says simply, her face impossible to read. Her shoulder is bandaged where the bullet hit her. “Make a case for yourself.”

“Nearly fifty of my people were taken the night we last met. They vanished into thin air. But I know it wasn't just us. You said you had scouts at the camp. They didn't return either, did they?” She takes Anya's silence as agreement. “The only way we can save both of our people is if we work together.”

“What are you offering?”

“You have the knowledge, we have the volunteers. If someone took them, we'll find them and bring them home.”

A slight grin forms on Anya's face. “See, now I'm listening.” She walks towards Raven and tugs stools from under the console, inviting her to sit. Anya's eyes are on her as she settles down. “What happened to you?”

“You caught your killer. We didn't catch ours.” She straightens her leg, ignoring the ache in her hip. ”Did Lincoln bring you the cans with the gun?” 

”He did. Rather interesting. Not exactly the kind of technology we need these days.”

”You know where they’re from?” 

”No.”

”But you know someone who might?”

”Possibly.” Anya flashes a smile. ”We like to learn here.”

”Your people... when The Ark came down. They ran.”

Anya chuckles, shaking her head lightly. ”Sometimes we take our lessons too much to heart.” 

”The myth”, Raven realizes. 

”Originally it was the bombs that took us down here. It’s hard to forget. The first dropship brought back a fear we didn't know we had in us. Fire from the sky brings death; so we learned. And then there were bodies. Can you blame them?”

”You don’t believe?”

”I like my facts. I believe similar faith lives in me, but I control it better. Most of us do. But you and your people have brought us quite the change in tide.” 

”How many of yours did they take?”

Anya’s mouth tightens into a line. ”Twelve.”

”Your second was one of them?”

”Lexa is a brilliant girl. She’ll be fine.” 

”I’m sure she will. But what about the rest? Whoever it is out there, they’re a threat to the both of us.” 

”I think I know someone who can help you. You have to go to the Archives. By the ocean. You should find what you need there. Lincoln can take you.” Anya glances down at the brace. ”Well... probably not you.” 

”You’re sure.” 

”I want them back too.” 

\-- 

Mount Weather is quiet in the same way The Ark was. People don’t make a lot of noise, but there’s a steady hum of machines in the background. 

Monty gets familiar with his new surroundings quickly as soon as he’s out of the medical center. He can find his way from the dormitory to the dining hall and back to the medical center with ease. It’s a skill of his, he’s learned. 

There’s over a thousand people in the mountain. They’ve been hidden underground since the bombs went off, unable to come out. Like a time capsule, they locked themselves up to preserve humanity only to remain that way forever. 

Maya gave him a history lesson when he was still stuck in bed. The mountain runs on the power from a dam. It’s not impossible for the mountain’s people to go outside, but they must do it in hazmat suits. Having remained completely clear of any radiation has left them especially vulnerable to the symptoms of it unlike the other groundspeople. 

Monty follows the hallway to the medical center. He was cleared days ago, but he still goes back. They allow him to help out like Maya does. Doctor Tsing, who took care of him when he was sick, smiles at him when he walks in. 

“Good evening, Monty. I’m afraid you’re a tad too late today.”

He freezes in the doorway. “What do you mean?” 

“All patients are released. You don’t have to stay cooped up here anymore. You’re in no debt.”

“Oh... all right.” He turns around to go back the same way. 

“And Monty --”

He glances over his shoulder to see Dr. Tsing give him a knowing look. 

“Mr. Miller should be in the dormitory.” 

Monty can feel his cheeks heat up. He opens his mouth but nothing comes out so he opts for swiftly making his exit. 

Miller is not the reason he’s been there. He simply likes the doc and working with Maya. Miller happened to be in for a shoulder injury he attained when they were brought in. He had surgery soon after their arrival. 

He heads for the dorms either way. Miller’s seated on his new bed, looking around the space. Monty makes enough noise that he spots him and flashes him a smile. 

“You got out.”

“I did.” Miller smooths his hand over his shoulder. “Maya brought me here in case I wanted to rest.”

“Are you still in pain?” Monty sits next to him on the bunk. 

“Sometimes. They’re wearing me off the painkillers.” 

“It’s good to have you back, though.”

Miller smiles at his feet. “Thanks.” 

Monty doesn’t know what else to say. In the infirmary they’d just chatted casually and teased each other back and forth. Now, they’re alone and the low light casts shadows of Miller’s lashes on his cheeks. 

“So... this place is kind of weird.”

Monty chuckles. “Yeah. It’s kind of familiar but still not.”

“Should probably feel homely. The rules and the dark and the obedience.”

“Like you were ever obedient.”

Miller huffs out a laugh. “I suppose not. Is that what you heard about me?”

“The chief guard’s son getting arrested isn’t a quiet day for the rumor mill.” 

“Yeah...” 

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” 

“I wasn’t exactly just attention seeking.” 

“I didn’t mean --”

“I know. But there was a lot they said that wasn’t true.” 

Monty watches him curiously. “I know that.” 

“Good.” 

“Do you wanna go to the mess hall? If you’re hungry.” 

Miller shrugs. Monty can take the mood drop, but he can’t handle them being alone with this strange feeling over them. 

He sees Harper and Maya sitting at a table, talking excitedly. Clarke’s by their side, but clearly outside the conversation, appearing disgruntled. They all brighten up when he brings Miller over. 

“He lives!” Harper exclaims. 

“We saw each other yesterday, Harper.” 

She gets back to discussing some book with Maya soon after. Clarke watches them with a frown. Miller doesn’t pay much attention to either, solely focused on the meal Monty brought in front of him. 

“I can see your wheels turning, Clarke.”

“I don’t like this”, she says, unhelpfully. 

“I do”, Miller says, taking a large bite of bread to emphasize his point. 

“What don’t you like?” 

“It’s too good to be true, don’t you think? I haven’t gotten a clear answer to why they brought us here. Or where the others are. But now we’re supposed to just live here happily?” 

“Aren’t you just a little sceptic?”

“Someone has to be.”

Monty looks at their people spread around the room. They seem happy, carefree. “Do they, though?” 

“Nothing that’s happened to us so far has been black and white. Being completely doubtless would be idiotic!” 

“I hear you. But do you have any proof to back up this bad feeling of yours? They did save us from possible banishment. And they took care of us.” 

“Not yet.” 

Her tone tells Monty not to argue. He listens. 

\-- 

The new information is worth Bellamy’s anger when she returns. He contains it in a sour look while she explains everything she learned from Anya. Lincoln’s still in the woods, just outside the guard zone. Bringing him in still doesn’t feel like a good idea. 

“The Archives?”

“Lincoln knows the way. Someone needs to go.”

Bellamy shoots her a glare. 

“Not me, obviously”, she says with a roll of her eyes. 

“I’ll do it.”

“Wells...” Raven turns to him. “You don’t have to --”

“I can. My dad’s safe. It’s not like Dr. Griffin can have him killed now that he’s okay.”

They’re all silent.

“Right?”

“We’ll keep an eye on things”, Roma says quickly. “We have Sinclair and my mom’s on the Council too. He’ll be fine.” 

Bellamy frowns. “You’re sure about this, Wells?” 

“Yes. I’ll go. I want to. We’ll figure out what’s going on and come back. Then we’ll decide what to do. Together.” 

“Should we let the Council know?” Jones asks quietly. 

Bellamy scoffs. “They haven’t exactly listened to us so far.”

“You can try. But after I’m gone.”

“You should get ready. Lincoln’s waiting outside.” 

They scatter, going their own ways. Raven feels rather than sees Bellamy follow her. She keeps walking until reaching a secluded spot where they can talk. 

Bellamy crosses his arms as she turns to face him. She keeps her face neutral and waits. 

“Hi.” 

Raven can’t help laughing. “Hi? Really?”

“You were gone for a day.” 

“You miss me?” 

“I wasn’t... happy that you didn’t tell me.”

Raven can suddenly see the tightness in his jaw isn’t from anger. He’s clearly trying to hold back his immediate response to his emotions rushing back. It’s a trained reaction from years of conditioning. 

“Hey...” She steps closer and reaches out for him. Bellamy’s body’s taut against her as she hugs him. “I’m sorry. I know I should’ve told you. It was wrong of me. It wasn’t fair to you. It won’t happen again.”

Bellamy relaxes slowly into the embrace, his arms coming up around her waist. Raven rests her head on his shoulder and smiles to herself when he presses his lips to the top of her head. 

As they head back outside, there's something going on at the gate. For a moment Raven fears it's about Wells, but he's nowhere to be seen. Instead, another familiar figure stands in the center of the crowd. 

“Bellamy.” 

He looks at her. She knows he can see what she's thinking. 

Covered in dirt and blood, he's not easy to recognize, but as Raven meets his eyes across the yard, Murphy’s lips curl into a devious smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk if you can tell or if it matters but this season is less thoroughly planned and also more fast-paced. it's mostly bc that's just how it's coming out and it feels good so i'm letting it. i might regret not adding sth later on or whatever but for now it's working for me. 
> 
> it's also open for now if there'll be a part three and if yes whether it'll be a season three or a two-b
> 
> anyway off to the next ch you go


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't seem to have any warnings for here either i'm killing less people this season i guess

The first thing he sees after waking up is Harper sitting on her bed next to his. She's brushing her long hair and staring into nothingness, a dreamy smile on her face. Monty can't help the snort he lets out that snaps her out of her thoughts. 

“What's so funny?”

“Your face.”

Harper threatens to throw the brush at him and Monty hides under the blanket. She resumes grooming and ignoring him. 

“How's the bed, Miller?” 

Monty turns to see Miller just getting up, but quickly averts his eyes from the flex of his strong thighs. 

“I think I got used to sleeping on the ground too well.”

“I missed having a bed. I've never been this relaxed”, Monty says to the underside of the top bunk. He lets out a groan when Harper’s body hits his as she drops on top of him. 

“Me neither”, she sighs. 

“You're smothering me.” 

Miller’s rolling his eyes at them, but he's also smiling when Monty dares to glance at him. He gives up struggling under Harper’s weight and wraps his arms around her. 

“Sharing a bed is nice too.” She grins at him victoriously. 

“You're lucky you're pretty”, he huffs. 

Miller heads in the direction of the showers, and Monty’s eyes track him until he disappears behind the corner. 

“When did that happen?” Harper asks lightly.

He doesn't bother to deny. “Not sure.” 

“I'm glad.”

“Why?”

“I was worried about you... before.”

Monty laughs, the sound thick in his throat. “Jasper would say something really inappropriate.” 

“Are you kidding? He'd pour a can of oil on you and tell you to go after him.”

“True.”

“I can do that for you if it'd make you feel better.”

He tightens his hold around her and sighs shakily. “I'm good right here.” 

\--

The leader of the mountain, Dante Wallace, isn't an impressive man. He's slowed down by age, his voice frail and his skin thin as paper. The others had met him at arrival so Monty gets a separate introduction. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Green.” 

“You too, President Wallace. Your home is... impressive.” 

“Thank you. I’m sure it’s got nothing on where you grew up.” 

Monty manages a tight smile. “You’d be surprised.”

They stand by the entrance of the mess hall. His friends are sitting well apart from the mountain people. Monty’s not sure there is a place for them there. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you bring us here?” 

President Wallace doesn’t seem surprised by the question. “We’ve kept our eyes on you since you landed. We made sure you didn’t get into trouble with the... other ones.”

“You knew what was going down?”

“We had an idea. We’re aware of their numbers and yours. The outsiders tend to be... territorial.”

“If you have eyes outside, you must’ve seen The Ark come down. Are they okay?”

President Wallace offers him a pitying look. “Unfortunately we have no information on any crash sites yet. We’re still looking.” 

“Oh.” 

“I’m sorry, Mr. Green. Now, please, go join your friends for dinner.” 

He doesn’t move until Monty’s taken several steps in the direction of the tables. Monty takes a seat next to Clarke and their attention turns to him. 

“We have to find out what happened to The Ark.”

\--

Leaving the camp felt much easier than he'd expected. Wells wrote his father a note the others would deliver to him later and he was ready to go. 

It's not simply being alone with Lincoln that eases his mind. The camp hasn't felt like home from the day they moved into it. And now he's been handed the opportunity, the task, to go learn more about the ground. Not only will it give him answers, but it'll also help to save their friends. 

“You're in a good mood”, Lincoln states. 

“I am”, is all he replies. 

They walk for hours, the sun moving across the sky as they advance. The few breaks they've taken are spent under large trees offering shade. Lincoln seems used to crossing long distances. Wells wants that too. 

As the sun sets behind the treetops, they settle down for the night. Lincoln starts a small fire in case temperatures drop. It's senseless, but Wells suddenly feels nervous. He still has questions and he's not sure if the answers will change anything. 

“You never told me.”

“Told you what?” 

“How old you are.”

Lincoln smiles. “25.”

“Thank you.”

“Does it matter?” 

Lincoln watches him intently. The lights of the flames flicker on his face. He manages to tame even a live fire into a warm glow on his skin. 

“I don't know. If it should.” 

“I believe that depends.”

“Clarke would say something about brains. I swear whenever someone mentions age she starts talking about brains.”

Lincoln’s smile has a sense of caution to it. “You and Clarke, you're... close.”

“We've been best friends since we were babies. She's a huge part of my life.”

Lincoln nods. Wells stares at him, trying to figure out what he's missing. 

“Oh g-- not like that! We're close friends but that's all we are. Friends - platonic friends --”

Lincoln chuckles softly. “I get it.”

“Good. Good. I mean... I think we were supposed to be like that. But I never liked her that way. Or... any girl for that matter.” Wells glances up quickly before averting his eyes again. He's never said it out loud so directly. 

“So you're gay.”

“Huh? _Oh_. Oh, yeah. Yes. I am.” 

“Not a word you use a lot?” 

“No one really does. I suppose a sample of mankind lost the meaning and culture behind the word. It's usually in negative use only. When people find it worth mentioning.”

“That's sad.”

“You think so?”

Lincoln shrugs. “I'd like to think words have power. That I can use that power in saying them.” 

Wells wishes he understood. He's gone through figuring out his feelings without the power of expression. 

“Lincoln...”

His face seems to be a lot closer than it was before. 

“Wells.”

He cuts the distance between them by bringing their lips together. Lincoln catches him by the shoulders to keep him from tipping over. Wells’ cheeks burn as he pulls back. 

“Wells.”

“No, I get it. It's fine.”

Lincoln lets out a sigh. His hands slide down to Wells’ wrists as he shifts closer. He brings his hand to his neck and kisses him again. 

He's never been kissed like that. Lincoln’s lips are soft but determined, coaxing him into a gentle movement against his. It's hard to concentrate with his teeth occasionally nipping on his lower lip and his fingers cupping his face. 

Wells pulls away now just to catch his breath. Lincoln flashes him a smug grin as he remains speechless. 

“Wow”, he manages. “That -- Wow.” 

“Yeah.” 

“You're good at that.” 

Lincoln laughs. “Sure.”

“Is it fine if I wanna do that again?” 

He gets a peck to the corner of his mouth. “You should get some sleep.”

“That's not a no.” 

Lincoln rolls his eyes. “It's fine.” 

Wells smiles brightly. He settles down on the ground next to him, trying to relax enough to fall asleep. Lincoln starts humming under his breath and he drifts off with ease. 

\--

“Bellamy”, Roma waves him over, “they’re ready for you.” 

He walks into the room that resembles many of his childhood nightmares. The Council watch him in silence as he stands before them. With nothing to go on, he starts talking. 

“Since we were sent here, we’ve faced a lot. We’ve come across traps, biological warfare, not one murderer but two, the living remains of the human race... And we survived. We survived the impossible task you gave us --” 

“You’re Bellamy Blake?” 

He meets Kane’s eyes. “Yes.” 

“The son of Aurora Blake.”

He fights the sneer trying to settle on his face. “Yes.” 

Kane makes a show of filling in the log. “And you’re the one who attempted to assassinate Chancellor Jaha?”

“And who was freed of said charges”, Jaha says patiently. 

“You know who I am, councilman Kane. What’s your point?” 

“That you might not be the person best authorized to give us this information. Why isn’t your son here, Chancellor?”

“My son is not here at the moment.” 

“Where else could he possibly be?” 

“As I was trying to say”, Bellamy speaks up, “we’ve since made contact with the groundspeople.”

“Last we heard of them, they were ready to wipe you out.” 

“We... settled things. Their leaders aren’t interested in war. And they’re not fans of guns.” 

“And this settlement... exactly what does it entail?”

“We delivered our guns to them as a sign of peace and we got to stay at our camp.”

Kane stares at him for a moment. “You wilfully handed over your weapons to the enemy?”

Bellamy tries to keep his voice stable. “In order to maintain peace and stay at our camp. We had no way to contact you so we couldn’t change locations.” 

“We have nothing to show of an agreement with these people”, Kane says to the other councilmembers. “We have to consider they could be a threat to us.” 

“They were here first”, Bellamy states dryly. “There’s plenty of space. It’ll just have to be on their terms.” 

“We were always meant to return to the ground. They’re not alone here anymore.” 

Jaha crosses his hands on the table in front of him. “Certainly there’s land that’s still inhabited out there. We should look for a place of our own.” 

“I’m sure that you can have this conversation without me.” Bellamy takes a step back, but hesitates. “But the groundspeople shouldn’t be harmed. They’ve hurt no one.” 

Kane raises his brows. “I think your friend Mr. Murphy would disagree.”

“He’s not my friend”, he replies immediately. With that, he walks out. 

He doesn’t go looking for anyone right away. Getting talked down to isn’t uncommon to him; neatly stomping down his emotions even less so. His breathing is back to normal by the time he reaches his tent. 

Octavia sits on her bunk, reading a book about butterflies. He doesn’t know where she’s found it or who it belongs to. She traces her fingers over the smooth pages, the intricate drawings that make Bellamy feel just a bit uneasy. 

“Hey, O. You okay?” 

She doesn’t react to his words. It’s not unusual when she’s focused. He sits in her line of sight and waits. When she still doesn’t look at him despite noticing his presence, he leaves her be. 

If it was just the two of them, the silence would get to him eventually. Octavia can go for long periods of time without wanting to be touched or spoken to. He’ll always accommodate her needs first. He always has. But he’s grateful for the people in his life now, who might want to accommodate his. 

Mbege pats his shoulder as he passes him. Raven offers him a smile. She looks softer in the evening light, her tired edges blurred. When he tugs her arm around himself and curls into her side, she looks surprised but settles quickly with her hand in his curls. 

“This is totally a thing, right?” Monroe nods at them. “Like come on.” 

“You need to get a life, Mo.” 

“You’re telling me they’re not doing it?” 

Jones rolls his eyes. “I’m not their keeper.” 

Bellamy closes his eyes, the fire they’re sitting by painting the insides of his eyelids red. Raven’s fingers comb through his hair gently. The crackling of the fire and the bickering around them are a calming white noise. 

\-- 

“Hey! You wanna come do laundry duty with me?” 

Monty hops down from Fox’s top bunk. “Please. They still won’t assign me anything good.” 

“Well I wouldn’t call laundry a jackpot either...” 

He takes Maya’s arm. “I’ll take it. I’m so bored.” 

“I thought there was never a boring moment with you.” 

“Don’t tell anyone.” 

They head down a level to the launderette. There’s a few people already working, but they’re on the other side of the space, loading machines. 

“What kind of work did you do on The Ark?” Maya asks as they start folding sheets together. 

“I was born on Farm Station, but I got to go work on Mecha. I was assigned to work with Sinclair, who’s the head engineer. Or was. I don’t know if any of that still stands. Or if he’s even alive.” 

“I’m sorry. It must be tough being separated from everyone you know.”

“I imagine you haven’t had that problem?” 

“You could say that. I’ve never been outside.” 

“Never? But you have the suits and everything?”

“They’re not exactly for casual use. Most people never get to go.” 

Monty thinks for a moment, silently accepting the corners of another sheet. “Do you want to?”

Maya sighs. “It’s kind of a death wish. Just wanting to feel the sun on your skin. But I’d like to think it’d be worth it.” 

“What would happen if you went?” 

“Radiation poisoning. Not sure how bad it’d be - or how fast. We’ve had some leaks over the years. It was way worse before. The radiation levels are still dropping. We just have next to no tolerance.” 

“So one day you could be able to go outside?”

“Maybe.” Maya shrugs. “I’m not holding my breath. It’s easier to think it’s never gonna happen.” 

“We never thought we’d get out of The Ark. And now we’re here.” 

Maya holds the freshly folded sheet to her chest and bites her lip. “What is it like? The sun.”

“It's... it's probably worth it.” 

She smiles sadly. “Thought so.”

“Is there actually, like, a front door here?”

“Yeah. There are doors. But they're all sealed. The only way they use is underground, though. The above ones haven't been open in decades.” 

“Right.”

“Did you ever go out... in space?”

“No. You have to qualify for zero-g and I didn't get to take my exams yet. But I have a friend who did.” 

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. I think you'd like her...”

\--

They almost miss the messenger. He stands by the edge of the woods and waits. It's Octavia who points him out in the end. 

Raven and Bellamy get through the gate quickly. It's not long before curfew so there's not much time. 

“Are you Raven?” the boy asks. 

“Yes. I'm Raven. Is everything okay?”

“I have a message from Anya. She says she welcomes you to join her in the village while awaiting your friend's return.” 

Raven glances at Bellamy, who's looking back just as surprised. “Uh, thank you. If you can, would you tell Anya we’re grateful for the invitation. It will take a little time before we can leave, though.”

The boy nods. “I'll let her know.” 

“Thank you.” 

The boy leaves instantly, leaving the two of them staring after him. 

“So... we're going to the village?” 

“I mean”, Raven takes his hand as they turn back, “do you want to stay here?”

“Not really”, Bellamy replies immediately. “But we'll need _permission_ to leave. And I doubt they'll want to give it to us.”

“We'll try it the right way at first. If it doesn't work, we do it our way.” 

Bellamy chuckles. “Sounds like a plan.”

“We'll take O, right?”

“I don't think she'll mind. There's not much for her here either. She doesn't trust the guard any more than I do. We should all just go.”

“We'll go talk to Jaha first thing in the morning.” 

Bellamy swings their hands between them. Raven can feel his fingers clench around hers suddenly and she searches for what's caught his eye. 

Murphy stands near the entrance of The Ark, talking casually with Kane. Bellamy stares at him with his brows furrowed. 

They've both been watching him. Murphy’s loving his new life in the camp. He's seen as a hero, a survivor. He claims to have been tortured by the groundspeople before he managed to narrowly escape imprisonment. 

Raven feels an unpleasant tingling at the base of her neck whenever he's looking at her. She's sure they hadn't thought he left camp before they met the grounder troops. Bellamy agrees with her that there’s something off about him. 

He was in the camp before they left. The groundspeople didn’t take anyone. No one was tortured. He was in the woods. 

She thinks he's the one who shot her.

Octavia's not alone in their tent. Roma’s seated next to her on her bunk, the book of butterflies set between them. 

“Bell, can I sleep in Roma’s tent? She promised to tell me a story.” 

Roma looks up to grin at them, her eyes dropping to Bellamy’s hand now on her waist. “Please.”

“Sure, yeah. Do you want me to come see you?”

“I'm a big girl”, Octavia says sternly. She hands the book over to Roma before gathering her blankets in her arms. Bellamy crouches down and she presses a kiss to his temple. 

He sighs. “Good night, O.”

“She'll be fine”, Roma says quietly before ducking out. 

Raven lies down and stretches on the bed. “Look at that. A room just to ourselves.”

“There's a first.” Bellamy sheds his jacket and kicks off his shoes. “And it's a tent.”

“You didn't mind it being a tent before.” 

Bellamy rolls his eyes as his fingers start working on his belt. “I wasn't worried about your physical safety, then.” 

“I'm under no threat now.” She pats the covers at her side. “But... I could be under you.” 

He manages an even more impressive eye-roll, but finally crawls over her. His body is securely held up by his arms despite her clear invitation. 

“What is it now?” 

Bellamy feigns innocence. “You're still dressed.”

Raven laughs as she tugs him down for a kiss. 

\-- 

Under her mattress, there's a roughly folded sheet of paper. The log she's kept on the days spent inside the mountain is precise and concise. And yet, wholly unhelpful. 

Clarke has mapped every corridor she can access without raising suspicion. She's snuck around, clumsily pickpocketed guards, memorized schedules and passwords. And still she has nothing. 

She refuses to believe there's nothing odd going on. The mountain people just watched them for weeks and coincidentally swooped in to “save” them the day they were under duress? Unlikely. If they have surveillance effective enough for that, they must know where the others are. Not to mention what happened to The Ark. 

“It just doesn't make any sense”, she sighs to Monty. 

“Griffin, you'd be so fine if you stopped being such a tightass.”

She turns around to look at Dax. “Speak to me again and I'll smother you in your sleep.” 

Dax raises his hands in defeat before moving away from them. Monty's brows are raised when she turns back to him.

Clarke just shrugs. She doesn't have time for discretion. Much like Dax, most of the others are far too comfortable already. They soak up the anti-grounder rhetoric while enjoying the amenities of the mountain like they've earned them somehow. 

She'll figure it out eventually. There's got to be an explanation, an answer for her to find, a conclusion to reach.

There has to be a way out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> monty n wells ... those dudes ... r really gay
> 
> chapter three is nearly finished won't be long


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first two chapters were like yea not much to warn about n now it's boOM murder
> 
> warnings for minor character death(s), (implied) torture more info in the end notes
> 
> in case you did chose to just hop in without reading season one, in which case u kno not to be extra but you're missing out just a little, the main changes you should know are:  
> 1\. octavia is also mixed and she's aged down but also mentally younger than she actually is due to living in isolation  
> 2\. other characters are recast as non white as well including lexa  
> 3\. raven saw finn as her brother

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. They're calling for an election.” 

Raven shakes her head. “Ridiculous.” 

“Is Kane running?” Bellamy asks.

“Of course”, Roma scoffs. “There's no other reason to have one.” 

“So this is Abby’s plan now. She couldn't kill Jaha so now she'll try to demote him.” 

“She has no chance, right? Kane won't win. Jaha got them down to the ground.”

“And now they're surrounded by new threats and unsure conditions.” Raven sighs. When Monroe came to get them out of bed, she expected it to be bad. Once again, Abby has managed to surprise her. 

“Keep an eye on things, Roma. I’m going in to discuss our departure.” Bellamy touches her arm before walking off. 

“What does he mean, Raven?” 

“Let’s go find Jones and Mbege. We need to talk.” 

They head over to the boys’ tent. It’s still early and most of the camp is only waking up so they’re both inside. Raven taps the side of the tarp. After receiving a grunt serving as a reply, she ushers Monroe and Roma in. Jones has the covers pulled over his head while Mbege’s sitting up, his lower lip stuck out at them. 

“The one morning we get to sleep in. Why?”

“We need to have a chat. No need to get decent, boys.” 

Mbege rolls his eyes. “I’m never decent, Reyes.” 

Monroe shoves their legs out of the way and takes a seat at the edge of their bunk. Roma follows suit. Jones peeks from under the blanket. 

“What is it, Raven?”

“Anya has invited us to the village. At least until Wells comes back. Possibly for a longer time. Like you know, the groundspeople haven’t fully made up their mind on The Ark. But as we’ve noticed, they’re not fans of others on their land, creating havoc.” 

“She wants us there? Last time we met she was ready to chase us out.”

“Things have changed since. I do believe she cares for our safety. And having a link between the two camps is smart. We have to focus on finding the others.” Raven looks at each one of them. “Obviously you don’t have to go. Bell and I will take Octavia with us. If you wish to stay, you can.”

The four in front of her fall quiet. Monroe’s staring at the ground while Roma meets Raven’s eyes. Jones and Mbege are having a silent conversation just through looks. 

“You don’t have to choose now. It might take a while until we find an... agreement with the Council.” 

“We’ll come with you”, Jones says and Mbege nods.

“Oh gross; they’re a ‘we’”, Monroe groans. “I’m in. We gotta find the others.”

“I --” Roma bites her lip. “I need to talk to my mom.” 

“It’s okay, Romes. I’m not here to judge actually functional parent-child relationships. Take your time.” 

“Are there other news?” Mbege asks. 

“That’s all.” 

“Can y’all get out of our tent now?”

\--

The sun is shining bright from a clear blue sky when they reach the seaside. Wells has to simply stop and stare at the endless expanse of glimmering waves. Lincoln laughs quietly, but lets him wonder. 

“Can we..?” 

“Sure.” 

He grabs Lincoln’s hand and they run down the grassy hill to the beach. Wells lets go to crouch by the water and dip his fingers in. 

“Do you know how to swim?”

“Yes.”

Wells sighs, gazing longingly at the small fish swimming right below the surface. “I wish I did, too.”

“I could teach you.”

Wells turn to him. “Really?”

Lincoln shrugs. “Of course.”

He's not prepared when Wells jumps him, bringing his arms around his neck. They fall back in a tangle of limbs. Lincoln lets out a pained _’oof’_ as they hit the ground. Wells just grins at him. 

When he leans down for a kiss, Lincoln’s more ready. 

He could stay there forever with Lincoln's lips on his and the sound of the waves in the background and the sun heating his back. But they have a mission to complete. Wells pulls away reluctantly and rests his forehead on Lincoln’s chest. 

“We should keep going.” 

“Or we could get back to that...”

Wells grins into the fabric of his jacket before pushing himself up. “Let's go.”

\--

They reach their destination much sooner than he'd like. To no surprise, the Archives are located underground. It's all too tempting to just stay outside. 

“Lincoln!” 

There's a woman calling for him where the small houses of a tiny village start spreading out. When they reach her, she grabs Lincoln in a hug before holding out a hand to Wells. 

“Hi! I'm Emori.”

“Wells.”

“It's so good to see you, Lincoln. We thought you'd never visit.”

Lincoln rubs the back of his neck. “Been busy.” 

“Right. With the aliens coming down and all that.”

Wells stares at her. Emori giggles when she notices his look. 

“I'm kidding. It's exciting you actually made it.” 

“You know about The Ark?”

Emori raises her brows at Lincoln. “You haven't really told him about the Archives, have you?”

“Well...”

“That's fine. You'll get well acquainted soon enough. I assume you're here to find something?” 

“We are.”

“Let's go inside then.” 

Emori leads them through the village. In one of the houses they find a door that takes them into an underground tunnel. Wells’ hands shake with a mix of nerves and excitement. 

He doesn't know how deep underground they go, but it starts to get cold. The door Emori takes them to is one with heavy locks. 

“Here we are! I'll go find Luna and the others to let them know you're here. I won't be long. Make yourselves at home.”

The technology of the Archives is truly archaic. Wells shoots Lincoln a doubtful look. 

“Don't judge. These babies have more information on the Earth than any other place... that we know of.” 

“If you say so.”

“They also have a library. It's my favorite part.” 

“I didn't take you for a nerd.” 

“You have no idea.”

They hear footsteps before Emori returns with another woman. Lincoln receives another hug, but the redhead eyes Wells much less kindly. 

“Who's this?”

“He's one of the sky people”, Emori explains excitedly. 

“Lincoln...”

“Luna”, he says calmly. “He's a friend. I wouldn't have brought him if I didn't trust him.” 

Luna doesn't look fully convinced, but she extends a hand to Wells as well. “Hello.”

“Hi. I'm Wells.”

“Luna. I'm in charge of the Archives.” 

“We're only here for some information. We're trying to help people.”

“As long as Lincoln’s here, I don't have an issue with you being here with him.”

“Thank you, Luna.” Lincoln flashes her a smile. 

“I guess you have to tell me how everything is going back home?” 

Lincoln’s grin widens. “I don't think we have a choice.”

\--

They return outside during a break. The Archives are massive. There's information on people, books, inventions, grammar, dog breeds, volcanos, maps, anatomy and everything else imaginable. Being unaware of exactly what they're looking for is the biggest obstacle. 

There's surprisingly many children in the village. It's a surprise to Wells, at least. Their experiences so far on the ground haven't been exactly child-friendly. But in the village, with the sounds of waves hitting the rocks and seagulls crying accompanying them, children run around freely. 

They seem interested in him, but they don't approach. He hears more Spanish, more Mandarin, yelled from one child to another in their games. He sits on a log, eating the dinner Emori’s provided for them. The sun is a gentle heat on his back. 

“You like it here”, she says and it's not a question. 

“Who wouldn't? The ocean is... it's incredible. The smell, the sounds, the light.”

“I'm glad someone else loves it. Luna's always complaining it makes her hair frizzy.” 

Wells chuckles. “She's probably right, too.” 

A child with long braids and a toothy grin sneaks up behind Emori before hooking their chin on her shoulder. Emori whispers something in their ear and they run off again. 

“What's with all the kids? I mean, I haven't seen that many adults.”

“They come here to learn. Their families rarely care to join them if they're already settled elsewhere. They know their children will be safe here with us.” 

“So it's like school?”

“We don't have to teach most of them how to read and write. Here, they have the opportunity to learn from the Archives. In case they're ever damaged beyond repair, the information will be saved inside their minds.” 

“Do you grow your own food too?”

“There's another village not too far from here. They help us feed the children. Although, most of them are from farming communities and don't do a half bad job in taking care of themselves.” Emori smiles at a group running past them. “They're all great kids.” 

“It sounds pretty amazing.” 

“We're exceptionally blessed.” She holds up her left hand that's larger than the right, her fingers grown together from her palm beside her thumb. “The knowledge we're able to possess has helped us learn from the mistakes of our forefathers. We've let go of the hatred and strifes and become stronger together. For the most part.”

Wells falls deep into thought at her words, and she lets him be. He’s only shaken out of them when Lincoln comes to invite him back to work. 

\--

The moon barely gives out any light through the clouds when Raven walks through the camp. She was working on an exceptionally irritating radiator all day and late into the night, unwilling to stop before figuring out its issue. Her hip aches with the day’s wear and - she really should sit down more. 

She's not sure if Bellamy's still up on guard, but Octavia should at least be asleep. She heads over to get cleaned up. There's no warm water but she just wants to feel clean enough to get to sleep. 

It's not until she's turned off the spray and tugged on her clothes that Raven notices she's not alone. She hastily straps on her brace as Murphy walks around her to get to the shower. 

“You're up late”, he says, voice light and casual. He gets the water going and sticks his hands underneath. The grime stuck on his skin starts coming off as he scrubs them, blood and dirt coming out from under his nails. 

Raven takes an instinctive step back when he pulls out a knife. It's also caked in dried blood and he starts rinsing it as well. 

He notices her looking. “Did some hunting.”

“I'm sure you did.” 

“Why the long face, Reyes? Not a fan of blood?”

“No, just you.” 

“Ouch.” Murphy holds his chest. “Hits me right here.”

“Well you hit me right in here.” She points to her hip. 

A grin spreads on Murphy’s face. “Touché.” 

Raven walks away then. Confronting Murphy wasn't exactly her plan, but she's sick of dancing around it. She'd have to tell someone soon. He has to be the one who killed Myles, maybe others too. 

She fights the urge to glance back as she makes her way to the tent. Her own footsteps are heavy enough to cover most sounds so she feels too vulnerable out in the open. 

She feels a hand on her shoulder, but it falls off immediately, trying to drag her back with it. Bellamy's on the ground behind her, rolling on the sand with Murphy struggling underneath him. 

He tries to push Bellamy off of him, but he regains the upper hand with a punch in his jaw. The knife falls on the ground. As Bellamy reaches for it, Murphy manages to shove him off. 

They're both back on their feet in a flash. 

“What? You were gonna just kill her in the middle of the yard?” 

Murphy shrugs. “Why not?” 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” 

Instead of replying, Murphy starts running. Bellamy takes off after him. Raven finally shakes herself from the daze she was under and tries to follow. Her legs are stiff from fear and exhaustion, but she pushes onwards. 

Murphy's loud voice helps her track them. “Help! He's trying to kill me!” 

It's silent when she catches up. Murphy's on the ground and Bellamy stands over him. The knife is still in his hand. 

“Bell?”

He doesn't answer. Raven touches his shoulder lightly. He's shaking violently under her touch. 

“He, um, he tried to attack me. I didn't even think.” 

Raven takes the knife out of his hand. Her fingers are left stained red. She tosses the knife towards the fence. “It's okay, Bell. He was trying to hurt you.” 

“He tried to hurt _you_. Are you okay?” Bellamy cups her face, seemingly unaware of the blood on his hands. He quickly lets go when she shudders. “I'm sorry. I'm --”

“It's okay. Come on.” 

People have been awakened by Murphy's yelling, now looking for the source of noise. Bellamy grabs her hand. 

“We have to leave.”

“What? Where?”

“Just... anywhere. They'll blame me for it, Raven. I can't stay here.”

“Okay. Okay. We can go.”

“We need to go now. Please.” Bellamy’s voice, desperate and thin, cracks at the end. 

She watches him for a moment. His lips are tight and his breathing heavy. “Okay, Bell. Go clean up and then get Octavia. I'm gonna tell Sinclair what happened. Okay?”

He nods, eyes glassy. 

“Hey...” Raven rests her hand against his neck where his pulse hammers into her palm. “You saved my life. You were defending yourself. You're okay.”

Bellamy holds his hand on top of hers for a short moment before getting his legs to move.

\--

The dawn hasn't set yet when they reach the village. Octavia's stayed quiet for the whole trip, but she seems to be okay despite their hasty departure. 

Anya comes to them after hearing they've arrived. She takes one look at them and guides them to a room inside the tunnels without a word. 

“We'll talk when you wake up”, she says and closes the door behind them. 

They get Octavia to sleep quickly. She curls up under a mess of blankets and starts snoring softly. 

There's still blood on Bellamy's clothes. He stares at the stains blankly. Raven helps him take off his jacket. She catches the first teardrop on his cheek with her fingertip. 

The exhaustion of reality hits her all at once. She was almost killed right outside her tent, her remains left for Bellamy to find in the morning light. And Bellamy, who had tried to kill a man for his sister, succeeded in the deed for her. 

Bellamy crumbles to his knees. Raven holds him close, his face buried in her stomach, and they cry. 

\--

“You and Luna have known each other for a while, haven’t you?” 

Lincoln looks up from the book he was leafing through. “Yeah. Why?”

“She moved here. Why didn’t you?” 

“I haven’t settled down yet. It’s common for us to travel between villages before, you know, it’s time to start a family and work full time.”

“Sounds pretty traditional. Were you gonna start a family, too?”

“I kept my options open”, Lincoln says. 

“That’s vague.” 

“What do you want me to say, Wells?”

Wells stares at the desktop in front of him. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just... curious about what we’re doing.” 

“What do you want us to be doing?”

“I don’t -- I mean, I haven’t --” He stops. “Are you making fun of me?”

Lincoln grins. “Only a little.” He sets down the book and pulls his chair closer to his. “I like you. That’s what I’m doing. You can do whatever you want.” 

“I like you too.” 

Lincoln presses his lips to his briefly. He’s about to say something, probably tease him more, but Wells kisses him again. He curls his fingers around the back of his neck to keep him close and keeps brushing his lips against his. Lincoln’s hand is warm on his thigh, fingers gripping tightly, radiating heat through his body. 

“Alright, lovebirds. In case you actually wanted to do some work...” Luna drops a few books on the table, an amused look on her face. “I think I’ve got something.” 

Wells clears his throat, willing down the burn of his cheeks. “Good. Great!” 

Luna opens one of the books, showing them a picture of a blueprint. “There’s this place called Mount Weather --”

“I know it!”

Luna raises her brows. 

“We were supposed to go look for supplies there after we landed but we never got there.”

“So you know where it is?”

“We had a map. It might still be in the dropship.” 

“Well, Mount Weather was a military base. It’s an underground facility as well.”

“Have you ever seen them - any people from the mountain?” Lincoln asks, taking the book from her. “We’d know if there were other people in the area... right?”

“No. It was sealed off so I don’t know if they could get out even if they wanted to... if anyone was even in there and survived. But some of the stories we’ve heard...”

“The gunmen”, Lincoln gasps. “You think it was them?”

“Considering it’s a military base. They’d have the firepower.” 

Wells frowns. “What gunmen?” 

“Years ago these men attacked our village. They all but burned it down. Eight people died.” 

“And you never saw them again?”

“Not like that. People still spoke of them, of seeing them in the woods, but they never attacked again.” 

“If they’re able to come out, why wouldn’t they?” 

“They were wearing suits”, Lincoln says slowly. “Like exterminators.” 

“Like for oxygen?”

“Could be.” 

“It must be them.” Lincoln shakes his head. “We would’ve found bodies, evidence, if the people in the camp were killed. They must be in the mountain.” 

He turns to the computer and starts typing. Luna leaves them to it and returns to the library. Wells watches Lincoln create a search. The results pile up. 

“Guess this’ll take a minute.” 

“You saw the gunmen?”

Lincoln’s fingers freeze on the keyboard. “Yes.”

“So you were there.” 

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

“Indra told me to hide her daughter Gaia and Luna, so I did. I think they were looking for the entrance to the tunnels.” 

“Indra has a daughter?”

“Yeah. She also has a son, but he was killed.” 

Wells’ chest aches. “No wonder she wanted us gone... We were just the next bunch of gun nuts.” 

“We’re all marked by our pasts. But she isn’t unreasonable. Giving away the guns was a good start.”

“You’re close with her?”

“Yes. I’ve known her all my life. We don't always agree on things, but she's my family.” 

Wells looks back at the screen. “We need to find out everything we can about the mountain if we’re going to get our friends out.” 

“Let’s get to work.” 

\-- 

Clarke’s never been a quitter. She’s opened every door she’s been able to find. She’s researched, stolen key cards, timed guards on their route. She’s got herself sent to the medbay, she’s followed President Wallace, Dr Tsing and the President’s son Cage around for days. But there’s still no way out. 

It’s slowly driving her to madness. Monty’s still interested in finding out what happened to The Ark, but he’s done with entertaining her quest. Most of them are simply enjoying their time in the mountain. They have their own beds, clean clothes, books to read, food to eat. It feels like a vacation compared to their landing. 

She has a new person to shadow. His name is Emerson and he’s a Lieutenant. He’s one of the people who actually go outside. 

Emerson’s day is boring. He’s all over the mountain, talking to people, working, being entirely unhelpful to her. She’s ready to give up, when Emerson goes through a door she hasn’t noticed before. She waits and waits - he’s inside for at least a half an hour. 

She needs to steal Emerson’s keys. 

Miller gives her an odd look when she slides into the seat next to him. “What do you want, Griffin?”

“A little favor. And practice for those skills of yours I’ve heard of.” 

“And what would I owe you a favor for?”

“I don’t know... Maybe for the time I covered for you with Pike when you were off making out with Bryan.” 

Miller grimaces. “Fine.”

“How is Bryan by the way...”

“I said fine! What do you want?”

Clarke grins. “You were too good for him anyway.” 

Miller just rolls his eyes. 

“I need you to steal something for me.” 

“And what would that be?” 

“You see that man over there?” She nods towards Emerson. “Get me his keys.” 

“I swear you’re the devil, Griffin”, Miller mutters as he gets up. 

“Hearsay.” 

Miller’s really an artist in what he does. He bumps into Emerson in a way that looks perfectly accidental and then he’s back with the keys in hand. 

“Could’ve at least given me a challenge.”

“I thought you redeemed yourself in the Box, _Nathan_. The days of thievery are over.”

“Whatever. Here.” He hands over the keys. “And no mention of Bryan again.”

“Why? You don’t want _Monty_ to hear?” 

“Shut the fuck up.” 

“Love you too.” 

Clarke heads after Emerson to make sure he’s preoccupied. She can’t be too sure, but as long as he’s going in the opposite direction she should have enough time. 

The door is heavy, the lock manual instead of electric unlike most of the mountain’s doors. There’s actually two locks - very secretive. She finally manages to push the door open. The hallway is drafty, the cold lights coloring the mossy walls blue. 

As she turns the corner, she has to muffle a terrified sob with her hand. The remains of what looks like an autopsy gone horribly wrong are spread out on an operating table. The tools used are in a messy pile next to it, dried up blood crusting the edges. 

A noise draws her attention past the body. The back wall of the space is lined with cages. Wide eyes stare back at her across the room. The girl’s fingers grip the bars of the cage, causing the metal to rattle as she shakes. 

“Oh my god.” Clarke rushes to her, looking for a way to open the door. Not all the other cages are empty, but there’s no one moving. She starts trying out keys, willing the tremors of her hands away as they keep slipping from her hands. 

As soon as the door opens, she’s pushed back and the girl gets out. She immediately goes for the other cages, calling for the people in them. None of them still move. 

“Hey. What’s your name?” 

The girl turns around and glares at Clarke. “You did this. You and your people.” 

“We didn’t do anything. We were taken too --”

She’s left gasping as the girl grabs her and pushes her against the cage walls, her hand on her throat. 

“And yet we’re the ones in cages.” 

“We didn’t know. I swear.” 

She lets go with a scoff. “You are their healer, yes? Help them.” 

Clarke moves slowly before her training takes over and she’s checking for pulses. There are none. She checks again. 

“I-I’m sorry. They’re gone.”

The girl’s eyes well up, but she bites her lip and blinks rapidly to push back the tears. “You were too late, sky girl.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“I don’t need your sorry. Get me out of here.” 

There has to be a way for Emerson to get rid of the bodies without being seen. Clarke walks along the walls. There’s a hatch opposite the door, maybe an old trash chute. It’s tight but she fits a short saw under the edge and levers it open. 

An alarm starts blaring instantly. 

“Come on!” she shouts to the girl. 

She helps her climb inside before following. They tumble down a chute into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** bellamy kills murphy (by accident) after he tries to attack raven, clarke finds the bodies of the grounders taken in cages and most of them have died, there's one body on a table and it's unclear whether they were tortured to death or if it was an autopsy of sorts
> 
> i posted just this one now bc the next one is a longer chapter
> 
> also :~)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a weird block so this took a while to finish
> 
> warning for some dead bodies mentioned the rest is just bonding n boning n background i think have fun

It's really not his fault that Clarke was taking so long. He and Miller sat on the edge of his bed for nearly an hour before Miller gave up and lied down. At some point Monty must've followed his example, because when Harper wakes him up, Miller’s pressed against his back. 

“We've got a problem.”

Monty pushes himself up, causing Miller to startle. He groans and buries his face into the pillow, keeping his hips in contact with the small of Monty's back. But he's focusing on Harper. 

“What is it?”

“Clarke’s gone.”

“Gone? What do you mean gone?” 

Harper lowers her voice. “I went to look for her as soon as the alarm was confirmed as false. I couldn't find her anywhere so I asked the President. He told me she'd had a nervous breakdown and tried to hurt herself. So they had to sedate her and now she's resting in a private room.”

“And?”

“Clarke doesn't do nervous breakdowns”, Miller says. “They're lying.”

“Exactly.” Harper looks around nervously. “What if she was right and there's something going on here so they silenced her?” 

“She had Miller get her some guy’s keys. She was looking into something.”

“Maybe she found a way out”, Miller suggests. “Now they're just covering for it because they don't want us to leave too.”

Monty presses the heels of his hands to his eyes. “Why wouldn't they want us to leave?” 

“There's gotta be a reason.” 

Harper nods. “We need to find out what really happened to her.”

“We could break into the President’s office.”

Harper and Miller both raise their brows at him simultaneously. 

“What? We need to find out if she's really still here and we still need to find out what happened to The Ark. The information is in that office.” 

“How the hell are we gonna get in, Monty? If Clarke’s gone too far, they'll be on high alert.” 

“Are we not a bunch of juvenile delinquents? We find a way.” 

“Maya could help us.”

“You sure?” Miller asks, and Monty gives him a disapproving look. “What? We _are_ implying her people are a bunch of lying SOB’s, after all.” 

“I trust her. But I won't ask her if you don't want me to.”

“We could use her help”, Monty agrees. 

Miller lets out a heavy breath. “Fine.”

“I'll go talk to her.” Harper jumps up and rushes off. 

Monty suddenly feels out of place. Miller’s made no move to create space between them. He should just get up and go do something useful.

Without meeting Miller’s eyes, he lies back down. It takes him a while to relax again with Miller’s breath puffing against his neck. Then his arm wraps around Monty's waist, his hand smoothing down the fabric over his stomach. 

“Stop thinking so loud”, Miller mutters. 

Monty huffs out a laugh and lets his eyes slip shut. 

\--

Clarke gasps for air as her lungs empty on impact to the ground. It’s too dark to see, but she can hear the girl coughing somewhere near. She reaches out, finding her arm. 

“Are you okay?” 

There’s a quiet whimper. “You’re not holding me.”

Clarke freezes. Her eyes are slowly focusing. They didn’t fall on the ground. 

She scrambles to get up, pressing herself against the opposite wall as panic washes over her in waves. She squeezes her eyes shut and tries to breathe through it, but the walls are shifting and her head feels too light. 

“We need to go.” 

“We just fell on a pile of _bodies_.”

“They're my people. So are you sure you’re the one who should be upset about it?” 

Clarke opens her eyes to glare at the girl, but it’s enough to clear her head. They start running, only to be faced with the entrance having been boarded shut. 

“What do we do now?”

“You have shoes on? Kick it down.”

Clarke stares at her blankly. “You want me to kick it down.”

“You have a better idea?” 

“Why can’t you kick it down?”

“Which one of us was locked in a cage for days?” 

Clarke doesn’t bother answering. She balances herself and kicks at the boards as hard as she can. The poorly attached nails come off with a few swift hits, creating enough space for them to fit through. 

Now they’re faced with two directions. 

“Which way?” 

“How would I know?” 

The girl sighs. She takes off one way without another word. Clarke stands still for a moment before cursing and rushing after the girl. 

When she suddenly can’t see her anymore, she slows down. The noises coming from around the corner have her frozen on the spot. Her arm is grabbed roughly and she’s pushed against the wall with a hand over her mouth. 

A group of men in hazmat suits walk past them. They stay quiet in the shadows even after they’re gone. Clarke pushes the girl’s hand away. 

“Can you stop doing that?” 

“What? Saving your life?” 

“Shoving me against things.”

“Haven’t had any complaints before.” She starts jogging ahead again. 

Clarke stares after her with her mouth hanging open. 

“You coming or not?”

They reach the end of the tunnel and the brightness burns their eyes. Though Clarke doesn’t miss the girl heading off again. 

“Hey! Where are you going?”

“That’s none of your concern anymore, sky girl.” 

“It’s Clarke -- Wait!” Clarke runs after her. “You can’t just go!” 

“Thanks for getting me out. Now shoo.” 

“You’re just gonna leave me in the middle of the woods?” 

“Yup.” 

Clarke grabs her sleeve and pulls her to a stop. “I’m serious. You look like you’re gonna pass out any second. You need me.” 

“I’m fine.” The girl pulls her arm back, but it’s futile at best. Her face is turning grayer by the minute and her eyes are losing focus. 

“I’ll find you water and something to eat, and then you’ll lead us back, okay?”

The girl tries to stare her down, but she doesn't last long. “Ugh, fine.” 

Clarke wraps an arm around her waist so she can support her. They start walking slowly together. 

“Can I at least have your name?”

“I should’ve waited for someone less needy to come save me”, she grumbles, but leans into her. “Lexa”, she adds after a moment. 

“Thank you.”

\--

Raven opens her eyes and finds Octavia watching her. The covers are wrapped around her so only her face is showing. 

“Hey. You okay, O?” 

She nods. 

“Did you sleep well?”

Another nod. Bellamy makes a noise in his sleep and burrows closer to Raven’s back. 

“You wanna get up? I can come with you.”

Octavia crawls out of her cocoon and settles by her side. Raven leans on her elbow not to disturb Bellamy. Octavia’s fingers pull on strands of her hair. She makes a simple plait before letting it unfold. 

“Why is he sad?” 

Raven gives her a sad smile. “It’s difficult. But he’ll be okay.” 

“When is Miller coming back?” 

“Oh... soon I hope. We’re gonna go get them. I promise.” 

“Okay.” 

“You hungry?”

“A little. But Bell is sleeping.” 

“I can go get you something.” 

“I’m awake”, Bellamy mutters. 

Octavia leans over him, pressing her face to his arm. “You can sleep.” 

“It’s okay, O.” He strokes her hair. She lets him push himself up. “We can go.” 

Raven rolls around and watches him rub his eyes and ruffle his hair. “You good in there, Blake?” 

“I’m fine, Raven.” 

She doesn’t argue. They step outside of their room and the tunnel is deserted. The sun hasn’t set yet when they get outside. 

They get curious and somewhat wary looks from the villagers. Raven still considers it a better reaction than she got last time. 

When they find Anya, she's sitting around a fire with a few others. One of them is Indra, whose face stays expressionless when Anya invites them to join. 

“I'm glad you made it here, Raven.” 

“Thank you for taking us in. This is Bellamy and his sister Octavia.” 

Bellamy manages a weak greeting while Octavia’s too busy staring at Indra to pay attention. Anya watches them intently for a moment. Raven no longer finds her intensity as intimidating as before. 

“I expected the rest of your group of misfits, too.” 

“We left in a bit of a hurry. There wasn't really time for bureaucracy. But I told the others to follow if they wanted to.” 

“I see. Your friends from The Ark weren't happy about you leaving?” 

“There's a lot going on right now. There are some trust issues, still. Especially when it comes to me and Bellamy. Our records aren't exactly clean.”

Anya hums in acknowledgment. “Rigid laws don't work well with passionate hearts.” She can clearly sense Bellamy's discomfort and changes the subject. “How about some food, yes?”

\--

Leaving the seaside is harder than he could've imagined. 

It's like a different world, one untouched by the things he's had to witness. There Wells doesn't have to tell anyone about what Abby did to them. There are no dead bodies. There's only the laughter of children and the low hum of the Archives’ computers. 

Still, the worry for his friends drives him forward. They can't waste any time when there's no way of knowing what's going on inside the mountain. 

Lincoln's presence helps. It's sometimes hard for him to believe how connected to him he feels. He misses Clarke all the more then. She's the one he's always talked to about everything. 

They get to Lincoln's village as fast as possible. The houses and streets look all the same, but Wells misses the light of the seaside. In the woods everything feels muted. 

Their arrival causes quite the commotion. People want to hear news of their neighbors, some even of their children. Lincoln's as patient as ever as he talks to everyone waiting. 

To his surprise, Wells spots Bellamy behind the crowd. He slips through and catches him by the arm. 

“Hey! What are you doing here?” 

Bellamy's caught off guard. “You're back.” 

“Yeah, we just got here. How --”

“Wells!” Raven’s arms are around his neck and her hair in his face. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too. Why are you guys here?” 

“Anya invited us. It's only the three of us for now.”

“Is everything okay?” 

“I'll explain later. Did you find anything?”

“We did. Let's go inside.” 

“I'll go find Anya”, Raven says. “You go ahead.”

He and Bellamy head into the tunnels. Bellamy seems to know the way as they keep walking. Behind a heavy door is a room that reminds him a little of the Archives. He's gotten used to the unnatural light of the screens. 

Bellamy doesn't talk, and Wells watches him. He looks tired. But not sleep deprived - he looks tired down to his bones. He wants to ask, but Raven and Anya show up just then with Indra in tow. 

“I hear your visit to the Archives was successful.” 

“I think I know where they were taken.” Wells hands Anya a flash drive given to him by Luna. She opens the files for him and the others gather closer to see. 

“Mount Weather is the military base we were supposed to go to”, Bellamy says, frowning at the screen. 

“We think it's still inhabited. The mountain was sealed before the war, but they must've found a way out. Lincoln told me about an attack on this village some years ago. The men with guns were wearing some kind of suits. It could be they still thought the radiation levels were too high.” 

Raven nods. “Would explain the smoke grenades. But why would they take them?”

“That... I don't know. But it's the only sensible explanation!” 

“So you think we should go to the mountain?” 

“If I'm wrong, what's the harm?”

“If you're _right_ , we're going into a mountain filled with guns and smoke grenades.” 

“What choice do we have?”

“There's no other choice”, Bellamy says, and Raven turns to him. “It's all we have. If our friends are in there, we need to get them out.” 

Raven sighs heavily. “We're gonna need a plan.” 

\-- 

As they step back outside into the sunshine, Lincoln's waiting in the street with Octavia on his hip. She wriggles down as soon as she sees Wells. 

He crouches down to her level and she touches his cheek. “You came back.”

“Of course I did.” 

Octavia nods, a slight smile on her face. She looks into his eyes for a moment before walking over to Raven and Bellamy. Wells watches her go, but he's listening to the conversation going on behind him. He's easily tuned to the sound of Lincoln's voice. 

“And don't just walk into the face of danger without thinking.”

“That does sound like me...”

Indra sighs and Lincoln laughs lightly. 

“I'll be careful. I'm not a kid, remember?”

“I wouldn't know from the way you act.”

“Ouch!” 

Now Indra laughs too. Only moments later Lincoln's hand touches his back. 

“Hey. How did it go?”

“We still have work to do.” Wells checks to see Indra’s out of earshot. “What was that all about?” 

“I think I'm finally forgiven for going near your camp. I got off easy.”

“What did she say?”

“That clearly I care about you. So maybe I'll be a little more careful.”

“How, um, did she know?”

Lincoln shrugs. “She knows me too well.”

Wells holds back a pleased smile. 

\-- 

Lexa looks better in the morning. Clarke found them some berries near the riverbank they stopped by. It wasn't much, but Lexa waved off all her other ideas. 

She slept poorly. Lexa kept waking up gasping, and Clarke did her best to calm her down and remind her where she was. 

Lack of sleep might've been a win in this case. She definitely didn't want to see any bodies when she closed her eyes. 

They keep walking. To Clarke, the woods look the same everywhere, but Lexa seems certain of the way. She keeps herself entertained by asking her questions that she knows Lexa won't care to answer. 

“How come we never saw any of the mountain people out here?”

Nothing. 

“Do you think you really made my people leave?” 

To her surprise, Lexa scoffs. “Anya's too good-hearted to do that. Especially after most of you were taken.”

“But The Ark came down. Would they just assume they didn't survive the landing?”

“You did. It's warning enough. If they ended up on our land, we know.” 

“I take it you didn't mind us getting booted.”

“You were a risk to my people. You _shot_ Anya.” Lexa shakes her head. “Whatever she decided, I'll respect it.” 

“It's that simple?”

“How is it not? You don't trust your leaders?”

Clarke opens her mouth but nothing comes out. Lexa huffs out a laugh. 

“Guess I shouldn't be surprised.” 

“On The Ark, I was locked up for treason.” She feels a pinch of satisfaction when Lexa’s eyes widen. “My father found out there was a system failure. The air filters weren't working properly, oxygen levels were dropping. For that knowledge, they locked me up to prevent mass hysteria and they executed him.”

Lexa’s stays quiet.

“Coming down was our only chance of survival. The only way to relieve the problem was crowd control. So 100 of us were sent down to be the test subjects. It makes sense, right? Someone had to go first. We were prisoners; in debt to the general public. 

It's just that... it didn't seem our chancellor ever learned about the problem. Not to mention he was shot right before it all went down. So someone else had to be behind the first drop, someone who knew. Someone... ruthless enough to sacrifice 100 children of The Ark for the greater good.”

“Who was it?”

“I think it was my mom.”

Lexa stops in her tracks. Clarke didn't even notice the tears that had escaped down her cheeks. She wipes them off roughly. 

“I think it was my mom. Who sent me and 99 others to Earth. To die. And I think my best friend knew about it, but he couldn't bear to tell me.”

Lexa presses her lips together, nodding her head lightly. “That”, she says as she meets her eyes, “is a huge fucking mess.”

Clarke bursts into laughter, sniffling and hiccuping through fresh tears. Lexa shakes her head at her, still giving her a crooked smile. 

\-- 

The hallway is empty when the four of them get to the end of it. Maya stops them and points to a camera on the wall. 

“We’re waiting for the guard change. Which gives us about four minutes. Can you handle it?”

“It's an electric lock, right?”

“Yes.”

Monty nods. “I can handle it.” 

Maya checks her watch. “Okay. Go.” 

They rush over to the door of the President’s office. Monty gets the casing of the lock off and starts working on the wiring. It's not much different from what he'd done on The Ark. 

He gets them in in three. 

“Nice work, Mon.” Harper pats his shoulder. “You should consider a career change.” 

“We've all given up the criminal lifestyle, don't you remember, H?” Miller grins as he breaks into a file cabinet. 

“Right. Of course.”

“You were all really in prison?” Maya asks. She and Harper stand by the door, keeping watch of the hallway. 

“Technically it was lockup”, Monty says, his eyes glued to the screen of the President’s computer. 

Harper rolls her eyes. “It was as much of a prison as it got on The Ark. We were all underage at the time of our crimes so we weren't immediately executed.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. There wasn't enough room to actually imprison everyone.”

“So what did you do?” 

“Miller’s a thief. A bad one at that since he got caught.”

“We all got caught, H”, Monty says while Miller flips her off. 

“Monty just happens to be a hacker extraordinaire, but they got him on a... minor infraction.” 

“I got a few kids drunk”, he explains, swatting at Miller, who's laughing. 

“What about you?”

“I did sex work. Still criminalized in space.” 

“Did you get a trial?” 

“Trials don't really happen until you age up. They expect you to grow up in the time you have to spend being bored.”

“Guys. Look.” 

Maya stays by the door while Miller and Harper gather around Monty, who's got pictures open on the screen. The Ark took a good hit when it crashed. The pictures are of Mecha and Farm stations. Farm looks like it was mostly destroyed on impact, but Mecha’s still standing. 

He finds more pictures. A camp has formed around Mecha, a fence standing around it. There's people. It's hard to say how many, but they're alive. 

“Can-Can you zoom in?” Miller asks, his voice thick. 

“Yeah.” Monty follows his directions on where to focus. 

“It's him, Miller”, Harper says softly. 

Miller nods rapidly, staring at the fuzzy image of his dad. Monty’s chest feels heavy. He's relieved for Miller, but he can't make his parents out of any of the pictures. There are next to no pictures of Farm station and it seems abandoned. 

“They really made it.” Harper sighs. “Nothing on the other stations, though. Do you remember seeing how many fell?”

“Maybe three or four.” 

“Guess they went further away.” 

“I'm sure your parents are fine, H.” 

She shrugs one shoulder, her expression deliberately smooth. 

“Is that Wells?” 

“Shit! It is! He's in this one too.”

“They're alive.” 

“Guys! Someone's coming!” 

They're still for a second before they all start moving at once, putting everything back how it was. Maya's holding the door open for them, but only Harper makes it outside before they hear footsteps. She shuts the door in front of Monty and waves at him to hide. 

They watch from their hiding place as Maya looks around, takes Harper by the shoulders and pulls her into a kiss in the doorway. A guard calls out to them and they separate quickly. They get told to scatter and they do, disappearing in the direction they came from. 

The guard keeps walking the other way. Monty counts a minute in his head before going for the door. He and Miller run after the girls, who wait for them in the dormitory. 

“Way to take one for the team”, Miller chuckles and holds out a hand for a fist bump. 

Maya's cheeks are red when she returns the gesture. 

“What about the camera?”

She grimaces. “We'll just have to hope we were lucky.” 

\-- 

Wells knows he's smiling to himself. He must look slightly delirious, but he can't help it. Not even the guilt he carries in the back of his mind that tells him to worry more about his friends and his father and their future can penetrate his bubble. 

Raven takes one look at him and laughs. When he frowns, she shakes her head. “I didn't say anything.” 

“It's that obvious, isn't it?” He'd probably be mortified if he couldn't still remember the feeling of Lincoln’s skin against his and his hands _everywhere_. 

“Nothing wrong about that. You're an adult. Seeing you happy makes me happy.” 

Wells lowers his voice. “Okay, but no one told me sex was, like, that nice.” 

Raven chuckles. “Helps when you're with someone you really like. Clarke never told you, though?”

“I didn't wanna hear. She's like my sister.” 

“Well, soon you'll get to overshare to her.”

Wells takes her hand and squeezes it. 

“Where's your boyfriend now?”

“They're meeting for the last time about The Ark. They should have a decision by the end of it.” 

“Are you gonna go back to deliver the message?”

“Yeah. I wanna see my dad. I heard about the election.” 

“I'm sure it'll be fine.”

They're silent for a moment. Wells has a few questions he knows he'll need to ask, but he starts from the most important one. 

“What's going on with Bellamy?” 

Raven sighs. “Let's go talk somewhere private.”

\--

When Lincoln takes a seat next to him that night, he looks exhausted. Wells reaches for his hand and he gives him a weak smile. 

“Is it what I think it is?”

Lincoln nods. “They have made a decision.”

In the village, everyone gets to factor in on a decision that affects them all. They gather together and hear from everyone who wishes to speak. The one’s who have settled down or were born in the village have the heaviest say. The final ruling is given by Anya. 

“How bad is it?” 

“Not as bad as it could be. The Arkers will be given a choice. The same one you had. Either give up the guns or find a place elsewhere. Only if the weapons are handed over, there can be discussion of an alliance.”

“Shit.”

“Is it not fair?”

“Yeah, of course. I was just thinking that they'll never agree to go without guns. The Ark was a metal can floating in space and still we had guns.” 

“Your father is your leader, right?” 

“Yes?”

“You don't think he can make a difference?”

“It's not just on him. His opposition is not against playing dirty. And he still answers to the Council. He’ll have the final vote unless he loses the election.” 

Lincoln bites his lip. “If they choose to leave, would you go with them?”

“I -- No. I don't think I could.” When he thinks of his people, the Arkers aren't first on his mind.

Lincoln leans over to kiss him lightly. “You want me to go back to the camp with you?” 

“I don't know if it'll be safe for you. They still imagine one of us was tortured by your people. I don't want anything to happen to you.” 

“I could wait outside again.”

“It's not because I don't want you to meet my dad.”

“I didn't say that.”

“I know, but I'm saying it. I want you to meet him when no one will point a gun at you.”

Lincoln gives him a fond smile. “I'm okay with that.” 

“Good.”

“I'm gonna head to bed. You coming?” 

“In a minute. I'll go talk to Raven and Bellamy real quick.” 

He gets one more kiss pressed to his lips before Lincoln pushes himself up. Wells locates Raven and Bellamy by another fire, staring into it blankly.

“You've already heard, huh?”

“Yup.”

“What do you think?”

“They'll never give up the guns”, Bellamy says. 

“We have to go tell them.”

Raven nods. “We'll leave first thing tomorrow.”

“I'll probably stay at least until the election.” Wells rubs his eyes. “I wanna be there for my dad.”

“I'll come too.”

They turn to look at Bellamy. 

“Bell... you don't have to --”

“Raven, I want to. Okay?”

“If you're sure.” 

“We'll talk to Anya in the morning. Go get some sleep.” 

Bellamy gets up and stretches his arms. When Raven tries to follow, she collapses back down, hissing sharply. Bellamy's at her side immediately.

“Raven?”

“It's just my hip. Stop worrying.”

“Stop worrying? You're in pain.”

“It hurts all the time. It's nothing.”

“ _Raven_...” 

“I just need to sleep it off. Help me up.”

Despite her complaining, Bellamy scoops her up and carries her inside. Wells follows them, shaking his head. 

\--

Raven throws an arm over her eyes as she tries to catch her breath. Bellamy places a kiss on her hip after letting her leg back down from his shoulder. He plops down next to her on the mattress. 

“I already said I'd stay. You didn't have to try and convince me.” 

“I know.” 

When she peeks at him, he's smirking. Raven smacks him in the chest. Bellamy just takes a hold of her hand and kisses the back of it. 

“You're such a fucking romantic, Blake.”

“I have on high authority that you're really into it.” 

“Guess so.” She rolls onto her stomach and leans on her elbow. “You're really sure about going tomorrow?” 

“Yeah.” Bellamy meets her eyes. “I don't want them to think it was someone from the outside.” 

“They'll arrest you. You can't do that.”

He lets out a frustrated sigh. “I don't know what I can do, Raven. I just... have to go there.”

“That's okay. But promise you'll be careful. For O. And for me.”

“I'll be careful.” 

“Thank you.” Raven leans in and kisses the corner of his mouth. “Now get dressed. You're leaving soon.” 

“Yes, ma'am.” 

She watches him as he tugs on his clothes. She feels oddly calm about not going with them - and not just because of the skills Bellamy has with his tongue. Since she first met him, his entire demeanor has changed. He's more open and relaxed as he's learned to trust people. And she has no reason not to trust him. 

“I'll see you soon”, Bellamy says against her lips before kissing her once again. 

She lets herself fall back to sleep after he's left. 

\--

“You know you can't let yourself get arrested, right?”

They've walked in silence for the beginning of the trip, but there's only so much Wells can take. Raven told him everything and for the life of him he can't figure out what Bellamy's planning on doing. There's no taking back what happened, and while he doesn't blame Bellamy, running would look like a sign of guilt. 

“I know.”

“Then what is this about? Raven told me what happened, and you're not guilty. It was an accident.” 

“I know that.”

“I'm trying to understand, Bellamy. You ran but now you wanna go back?” 

“You can't understand and that's the thing. You need to let me do this.”

Wells stops. Bellamy notices after a few steps and turns around to face him. 

“You want to punish yourself, don't you?”

“Wells --”

“ _Bellamy_. I might not agree with you running, but it doesn't mean you should get punished for... this.”

“You can't say it either, can you?” Bellamy lets out a dry chuckle. “I killed someone, Wells. He's dead because of me.” 

“Murphy murdered people. I don't feel sorry for him. And explaining it as it is - that it was self defense and nothing else - is enough.”

“Who should I explain it to? The Council? Kane? _Your dad_?”

“Why not? Not everyone is against you --”

“You don't. Get it. There's no justice for me. There never was!” Bellamy shakes his head, lowering his voice back to a normal level. “Not when I was just a kid and trying to stop my sister, a baby, from crying so they wouldn't find her and take her away. Not when we couldn't figure out why she wasn't learning how to walk. It was because her muscles weren't developing well enough. Because she had to live under the fucking floor inside one room. 

Those people’s justice isn't mine. They executed my mother, knowing fully well this time they were orphaning two kids instead of one. It doesn't matter what you feel about the crime. A crime is a crime.”

Wells stares at him for a long time. Bellamy calms himself down and regains composure. 

“Sorry, I --”

“No. I'm sorry. Bell, I really am. Just... tell me what you need, okay? There are people who want to help you, no matter how hard it gets. If a confession is what you need, that's fine. But don't do it because you don't think you have a chance.” 

Bellamy sighs softly. “I just wanna make it right.”

“And you can. By staying safe and staying with us. They have enough on their plates with the news we're bringing.” 

“Did Raven tell you to knock me out and leave me in the woods if I was gonna do something stupid.”

“She trusts you, Bell. I do too. We're on your side.”

“She did, didn't she?”

“It was slightly implied.” 

Bellamy smiles at his feet. “I love her, you know?”

Wells snorts. “Yeah, no kidding.” He pats Bellamy on the shoulder. “Come on. Let's go.”

\--

Since having a minor meltdown disguised as a revelation, Clarke feels calmer than in a long time. Perhaps it's the woods. After her time inside the mountain, she finds them much more appealing. 

Lexa isn't the worst guide either. Turns out she's quite the talker once she warms up to her. She was born in the village closest to the dropship, but she grew up in a place called the Archives by the ocean. 

Clarke asks her why they don't have names for the villages. It seems hard to keep up. 

“At the time when villages started growing around the mouths of the tunnels, it wasn't a priority. People needed unity so wherever you went, everyone was your people and everywhere was your home. In our villages, when you choose to stay there, you build a house above ground to represent your presence in the community. We all have a place underground, but building above means a commitment to the growth of the people there.” 

“Wow, that's... kind of poetic.” 

“Just because you don't get it, it doesn't mean --”

“No, no. I-I like it. The meaningfulness of permanence. We never really had that on The Ark. Our existence could've been wiped out by the smallest malfunction... or meteorite. We were surviving just on chance.” 

“But was it chance or fate?” 

“Yes, it was my fate to fall from the sky so I could save your ass.” 

Lexa shrugs. “The gods work with what they can.” 

“Are we close to the village yet?”

“We're close. If you followed the river that way you'd end up where your ship is.”

“When we first tried to find the mountain, there was an accident. A boy, he... fell into a trap and died. Was it yours?”

“A trap? What trap?”

“It was dug into the ground. Wooden spears at the bottom.” 

“We don't do traps. Like that at least. We mainly hunt for the winter. But no traps like that. Where someone could get hurt or the animal left suffering. Where was this?”

“We were maybe a day’s walk from the camp. It was still quite hard to navigate here back then so probably less.” 

“I'll make sure someone goes to find it.”

“Thank you.”

\--

The village’s healer is a man called Nyko. He's a lively, talkative man except when he’s focusing on his work. Raven goes to him at Anya's request when she's still struggling to move freely. 

His accent is strong when he introduces himself to her in English. Raven switches to Spanish and his face lights up. 

“So what can I help you with today?”

“My leg is acting up. I was shot in the hip.”

“You were shot?” He ushers her to sit down. “And you're walking around?”

“Well I can't just sit around --”

“Is the bullet at least out?”

“Yes. Our doctor said there's nerve damage. I can feel only about halfway down my thigh. I made this brace to get around but...”

“But you’ve exhausted its usefulness”, Nyko finishes for her. “I see. The wound? Has it healed?”

“It’s fine. It doesn't hurt too much. It's the ache that slows me down. And I know I'm too much on my feet but --”

“There shouldn't be a but, Miss Reyes. When was the last day you didn't wear the brace?”

“Uh...”

Nyko gives him a disapproving look. It reminds her of Sinclair so she can't feel too bad about it. 

“Let's say I wanted to do better... what could I do?”

“Let's try a few things out.”

\--

She's out with the crutches she's promised to use now when she notices Octavia following Indra. Wherever the woman goes, Octavia's like a shadow behind her. Raven watches the silent interaction curiously. 

Compared to their time with The Arkers, Octavia seems completely different. She spends less time sitting quietly and takes initiative more. Perhaps she, too, has found that they fit better in the woods. 

“Raven.”

She's shaken out of her thoughts as Lincoln approaches her. 

“You said you wanted to come to the fields tomorrow?”

“Yeah. Is that okay?”

“Sure. Is there a particular reason? I get the feeling people are slightly worried you'll judge our setup here.”

“Really? Of course I won't. It's just... real agriculture always felt so distant on The Ark. I'm solely curious. I mean, how the Earth was nearly reborn after the war. The ground getting covered in forests, polar caps _expanding_... The complete opposite of global warming - it's so fascinating!”

Lincoln raises a brow. “You studied this too?”

“Did Wells already bore you with questions? We used to talk about the ash cloud all the time.”

“He didn't bore me. It was just... a lot of questions.”

Raven chuckles. “Right. The significance is just... incredible. As a core factor in the Earth’s regain of life force and the population’s faith in a new chance... Sorry. I don't mean to speak of you like some test subjects.”

“It's fine. No doubt many share your excitement.” 

Shouting reaches their ears from the other side of the village. Raven can't quite make out what they're saying. She goes after Lincoln when he heads over there. 

She first sees Anya on her knees, her arms wrapped around a young woman, who's sobbing into her shoulder. To their side stands no other than Clarke. Raven moves as fast as she can, cursing Nyko’s judging eyes for the lack of brace, to get to her. 

Clarke’s eyes fill with tears as she spots her just seconds before Raven has her in a tight hug. They hold each other for a long time, perfectly still in the embrace. When Raven finally pulls back to look at her, worry takes over. 

“You look like you were dragged here by your ankles. What the hell happened?” 

“We have to go back to them, Raven”, Clarke manages to say before her legs give in and exhaustion takes over, her eyes rolling back as she loses consciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me writing ""action"" scenes? unfortunately it's more likely than u think   
> anyway
> 
> next time on teh hundred: The Mountain   
> dun dun dunn


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> took a long time. this was not cooperating. i didn't rly like my writing at most parts so it was probs best to take a break bc now it doesn't feel as bad. i'm struggling w having an actual plot lol
> 
> i can't rmr well but i don't think there's any real warnings no one dies ? bellamy has a bit of a moment. he yells a little but it's fine he needed it. idk
> 
> i haven't replied to comment in ages bc ? anxiety idk i'll get to it i still appreciate them always

Nothing happens. 

Monty keeps glancing at the doorway for the rest of the day, but no one comes. No one comes to get them, nothing horrible happens. In the evening Maya comes to the dormitory and the four of them sit on the beds. Harper’s hand is in Maya’s. Monty would smile at them if he wasn’t so tense. 

“We’re fine”, Harper says finally, a surprised laugh escaping her. “We’re actually fine.”

Miller lets out a sigh and lies back on the bed. Monty looks at him and he raises the corner of his mouth in half a smile. Turning back to the girls, Monty now manages to grin at them. 

“So how does it feel to be a criminal now, Maya?” 

“Enlightening.” She brings their clasped hands in her lap. 

“Took your sweet ass time before kissing me”, Harper huffs. 

“You can be a little intimidating, H”, Monty points out. 

“Yeah. You’re scary.” 

“I’m sweet!” 

Maya kisses her cheek. “Sure you are.” 

“Gross”, Miller mutters. 

Monty pokes at his side. “Don’t be a dick.” 

“Like that’s gonna happen.” 

Miller flips Harper off. Monty grabs his hand and shoves it back down on the bed. “Behave, you two.” 

“What are you gonna do now?” Maya asks. “Your people are still out there. President Wallace lied to you.” 

They fall silent. Harper bites his lip and stares at her hand in Maya’s. Miller’s eyes are on the bottom of the top bed. Monty sighs deeply. 

“We have to find a way out, don’t we? I mean, if they lied to us about The Ark...” 

“Can’t we just go out the way we came?”

“If they’ll let us leave.” 

“Clarke got out somehow. She must’ve. So there has to be a way.” Monty turns to Maya, who’s already looking at him. 

“I’ll help you. It’s not right what they did.” 

“We’ll need a map.” 

Maya grimaces. Miller pushes himself up and reaches under his mattress. 

“Like this one?” 

“You stole a map from the President’s office?” Harper grins. “Nice.” 

“Thought we might need it.” Miller hands it over to Maya. 

He sits back next to Monty. It’s not for the first time, but right then Monty truly has to fight the want to kiss him. He wants to grab the front of his sweater and kiss the daylights out of him. He won’t. But, boy, does he want to. 

Maya looks through the map in focused silence. “There are some areas here I don’t think I’ve ever been to. Like this here. I don’t know what’s in here.” 

“Clarke was going around the entire mountain, wasn’t she?”

Miller gasps. “She got me to get some keys for her. Fuck. How did I forget? She wanted some guy’s keys the day she went missing.” 

“Who was it?”

“I don’t know. But I can point him out.” 

“Let’s go find him.” 

\--

When Wells breaks the news to the Council, he’s quickly rushed out of the room. Bellamy agreed to stay with Sinclair while he went to play the messenger. He returns to the workshop to find them looking at a brace Sinclair built. 

“How’d it go?”

“About as well as expected. They’re conferring now.” Wells takes a seat opposite Sinclair. “What happened in the uprising?” 

“What do you mean? The dropship crashed.” 

“But how did they commandeer it? The movement must’ve been going on for ages if they pulled it off.”

Sinclair sighs. “I have my suspicions, but it’s nothing I can prove.”

“Come on. Nothing happened on The Ark without Dr. Griffin knowing about it.”

“She always has a bigger plan in the works”, Sinclair agrees. 

“They’re trying to make sure Jaha doesn’t get reelected, right? They wouldn’t have to do that if I’d killed him.” 

They both turn to Bellamy, who shrugs.

“Why else try to have him assassinated? They want to take over.” 

“So letting the uprising go on, having them take the fall for the first drop, get my dad out of the way...” Wells shakes his head. “It’s kind of brilliant if it wasn’t so evil.” 

“Still, it’s nothing we can prove”, Sinclair says. “We can’t know how many people Abby has under her thumb. Kane is just one of them.”

“Jaha needs to win.” 

“It’s hard to tell what’ll happen after they let the people know.”

“They won’t give up the guns.” 

Sinclair nods. “It’s unlikely.” 

“Do you think your dad would campaign for that?” 

“I don’t know.”

Bellamy thinks for a moment. “I think we need to make sure he doesn’t. If it’s not an option that the majority will agree to give them up, he shouldn’t run with that.” 

“What can Kane even go for? Starting a war with the groundspeople?” 

“Do you really wanna find out?” 

Wells sighs. “Let’s just wait for the Council to finish.” 

“Bellamy!” 

The shout makes him startle. Bellamy has an armful of Roma and he staggers back slightly at the force of the hug. She’s quickly followed by Mbege, Jones and Monroe. 

“Wells! You’re back.” Roma grabs him next. Her hijab is soft against his cheek, a contrast to her iron grip around his shoulders. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too. Are you guys okay?” 

“We’re fine”, Jones says as he lets go of Bellamy. He steps over to wrap his arms around him. “It’s good to see you.” 

Monroe punches Bellamy in the arm before hugging him. “You scared us.” 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Are we leaving now?” Mbege asks. “Where’s Raven?”

“Raven’s still at the village with Lincoln. We came here to let everyone know about the groundspeople’s decision. They’re giving us another chance to give up all the guns. The election will determine how it’ll turn out.” 

“Well shit.” 

“That’s pretty much where we’re all at right now.” 

Roma frowns. “What about the others? What did you find, Wells?” 

“We think they’re in Mount Weather. We’re figuring out a way in.”

“How are we always in the shit?” Mbege drops down in a chair. Jones rubs his shoulder comfortingly. 

“We’re just gonna keep going, okay?” Wells looks at each one of them. “We’ll figure it out.” 

They don’t look completely convinced, but each of them nods. Sinclair walks around his workstation. 

“The election is soon. Once it’s done, I’d like you to take me to Raven.” 

“You won’t stay with The Ark?”

“She’s the only family I have left. I’ll stay with her.” 

No one disagrees. Sinclair pats Bellamy’s shoulder before leaving the workshop. Bellamy’s stuck staring at the floor. 

“Did you hear about Murphy?” Wells asks.

“Yeah. They said he was killed.” Monroe tilts their head. “Can’t say anyone misses him.” 

“Did they investigate?”

“Not much for them to do. He was yelling someone was trying to kill him. But all they found was his own knife.” 

“I did it.” 

It seems no one breathes for a few seconds after Bellamy’s confession. Roma clears her throat and crosses her arms over her chest. 

“You killed Murphy?”

“Yeah.” 

“Why?”

“He shot Raven. And tried to attack her again.”

“ _What?_ ” all four of them exclaim at once. 

“Raven suspected it. But he admitted it.” 

“Shit.” 

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m... of course.” Bellamy glances at Wells before meeting Monroe’s eyes. 

“Well not ‘of course’. You saved Raven’s life from a wacko. He could’ve killed you.” 

“All right, Mo. We know.” 

“Should you be here? Are they gonna arrest you?”

“I won’t stay for long. I’ll go back to O and Raven. We... don’t belong here. Our place isn’t with The Ark anymore.” Bellamy bites his lip. “You can still choose.” 

“We’re family. We have to find the others. If that’s not The Ark’s priority, it’s still ours”, Jones says. “My parents are dead. I won’t let the same happen to the rest of us.” 

Mbege takes hold of his hand over his shoulder. 

“We’re in this together, right?” Monroe asks quietly. 

“We are”, Bellamy agrees. 

\--

When Clarke wakes up, she's disoriented to say the least. Raven’s reading something next to the mattress she lies on. 

“I feel like shit”, she croaks. 

“Well you're dehydrated and haven't eaten properly in a while so... figures.”

“Thanks for the support.”

Raven smiles at her softly. “I'm glad you're okay, Clarke. We were really worried.” 

“Where’s Wells?”

“He’s safe. He’s back with The Ark. He’s okay.” 

Clarke nods. “I can't believe we were in the mountain. Imagine if we got there on that first day.”

“The groundspeople didn't know about the mountain. Everyone's just kind of... baffled.”

Clarke pushes herself up, immediately reaching for the cup Raven holds out for her. “Is Lexa okay?” 

“The girl you came with? She didn't pass out at least. She's in a much worse shape than you are, though.”

Clarke finishes the whole cup before speaking up. “The mountain definitely knew about the grounders.” 

Raven just waits for her to continue. 

“I found Lexa the day we broke out. They killed everyone else. They were in cages and... They were all dead, Raven.” 

“I know.” 

Clarke sighs. “They had us live with them and work with them while they were killing them. I feel like I don’t know anything anymore.” 

“You got Lexa out. You did all you could.” 

“Can I see her?” 

“Yeah.” Raven helps her up. 

It’s started to drizzle lightly. They head towards the edge of the woods, where they find Lexa sitting on a log with a man chatting to her casually. Once he spots them, he excuses himself and lets Clarke take his place next to her. Raven seems to know him and they walk off together. Lexa stays quiet, staring into the woods. She looks better, less pale even in the gray light.

“How’re you feeling?” 

Lexa shrugs. 

“Did you get any sleep?”

A nod. 

“I thought we got past the whole silent treatment.”

Lexa leans her head to the side to give her a dry look. “You’re the one bothering me.”

“You like it. Just admit it.” 

She gets an eye-roll, but there’s a smile edging on the corners of her lips. 

“How did they take the news?” 

“You won’t be going back to the mountain alone. Some will join you to claim the bodies so our people can be laid to rest.” 

“Okay. That’s... That’s good.” 

“Will you go back?” Lexa asks, now looking straight at her. 

“I -- Yes.” 

“Then so will I.” 

Clarke doesn’t object. A silence falls between them as they watch the trees, rain falling softly around them. 

\-- 

The sides of the election are clear. Kane pledges to keep them where they are no matter what the groundspeople say. After a long talk with his son, Chancellor Jaha announces that he will lead the Arkers to a new land that will be their own. 

The Council is meeting while the rest wait for the results. Wells keeps glancing at the clock on the wall of Sinclair’s workshop. Bellamy’s completely still as he stares at his feet. Monroe, Jones and Mbege are playing a slow game of cards with poor concentration. Roma bounces her knee in sharp intervals.

When Sinclair walks in, they all startle back to consciousness. They follow him outside. 

The yard is covered in puddles after last night’s rain, the dirt turned into mud beneath their feet. No one’s talking and the only sounds are the excited shouts of kids from further away. The Council walks out, Roma’s mom, Amara, leading, until they’re all stood in front of their people. 

“The election is finished”, she announces. “You have voted and the Council has gone through the results. A majority has chosen Chancellor Jaha to continue in his post as your leader.” 

Wells lets out a relieved breath with the rest of his friends. He feels lightheaded and holds onto Bellamy’s shoulder. The relief is still overpowering, but he knows the extent of this win in the back of his mind. The Arkers will be leaving. 

“Movement at the gate!” 

Bellamy’s frown mirrors his feelings. They’re all inside. 

With guns at the ready, the gate is opened. Wells can feel his jaw dropping. Then he’s running towards the gate, towards his best friend. 

Clarke barely catches him as he launches himself at her. She laughs into his neck and hugs him tightly. Wells holds her at an arm’s length when she pulls away. 

“It’s really you.” 

“It’s me.” 

“How?”

“I broke out of the mountain.” 

“You were in the mountain?”

“I was in the mountain.” 

“Shit.” 

“Yeah.” 

“And everyone else?”

“They’re okay. As far as I know. We walked back to the village the other day.” 

“We?”

“It’s a long story.” 

Wells hugs her again. “I’m so glad you’re back.” 

Before the others reach them, she asks him quietly: “It was my mom, wasn’t it?” 

He looks at her helplessly as the Monroe catches her in a hug. She already seems to know. 

\-- 

“Mom?” 

Abby looks up from her desk and takes in her daughter. “Clarke.”

“That’s all you have to say after months? I didn’t know if you were alive. You didn’t know if I was alive.” 

“I’m glad you are.” 

Clarke walks into the room. Abby crosses her hands in front of her. They stare at each other for many long minutes. 

“You sent us down to die.” 

“Why’d you say that?” 

“I know you did. You were ready to let 100 kids die. Including me.” 

“And why would I do that? You’re my daughter.” 

“Does that actually mean anything? Are you actually capable of feeling anything? You let them do this to me, to Wells, to all my friends. It’s madness.” 

“It’s survival, Clarke.” 

“What does that even mean? If we died, you would’ve just sent other ones. Wouldn’t you? This isn’t about humanity. It’s about your crazy search for power. You were ready to sacrifice what’s left of your family --” She stops, her lungs suddenly heavy. “No.” 

“Clarke --” 

“You turned dad in? How could you? He was your husband! What the hell is wrong with you?”

Abby’s voice rises along hers. “I did what I had to do! He was going to commit a felony that would let panic break out.”

“You didn’t have to do shit! You had your own husband executed! You murdered him! And you were gonna let me die too.” 

“I did what was best for The Ark and its people, whom I serve --” 

“Oh, shut up. You think that means anything to me?” Clarke sighs, all fight leaving her. “You’re sick, mom. This isn’t right. You have to come clean.” 

“Don’t be foolish. I’m holding this community together. Everything we’ve been through is thanks to me. I _saved_ them.” 

Clarke just shakes her head. 

“They don’t know how much they owe me. Jaha hasn’t --”

“You won’t touch him again.” 

“I haven’t done anything.” 

“You won’t _let_ anything happen to him again.”

Abby raises an amused brow. “And why’s that?”

“Because I have a confession now.” She holds the tape recorder in her hands. “Sinclair lent it to me. I’ll keep it for now. If anything happens to the Chancellor, it goes public.”

“I’m really supposed to believe you’d give up your only family?”

“I am your daughter after all. You should’ve thought of that before you messed with my real family. I’m leaving with the others soon. We’ll go back to the village. Don’t think I won’t know, though.” Clarke turns to leave before hesitating. “You can still fix things. It’s not too late.” 

She walks out of the medbay and doesn’t look back. 

\--

The Arkers are already packing up when they’re ready to leave. They are left with instructions on the peoples of the area and which way to travel. It’s the best they can do for them. Wells says goodbye to his father and promises to visit once they’ve settled in their new home. He’s still worried about all of them, but there’s nothing more for him to do. 

“Ready to go?” Bellamy asks. 

“Please”, he replies. He’s itching to be back in Lincoln’s arms. It’s only been days, but he’s grown to miss the comfort of his presence. Bellamy seems more than happy to be leaving as well. 

The trip seems to take longer than usual. The weight of leaving The Ark behind is heavy on their shoulders despite the rush to head for the mountain. Roma's eyes are still puffy from her goodbyes with her mother. 

He and Clarke chat quietly as they walk. She tells him about the mountain and what she saw, about Monty and Miller and someone called Maya. She tells him about the cages and Lexa, and he holds her hand tightly. 

The sky is gray, covered by a mass of clouds, as they reach the village. There’s shouting as they approach. Voices of children ring high, and to Wells it sounds like coming home. 

Raven’s being dragged towards them by an army of kids. They hold her hands and grab onto her clothes to get her where they want her. Raven’s laughing, trying to stay upright on her crutches. As she spots them, she stops, her eyes scanning theirs for a sign of bad news coming. Without any, a cautious smile returns to her lips. 

Wells’ attention only holds for so long before he's searching for Lincoln. He can't help the couple of running steps he takes to reach him faster. It's somehow better than he'd imagined, burying his face in Lincoln's neck while his arms wrap around him. For a moment no one else exists but them. 

Lincoln touches his cheek when he's pulled back. “Everything okay?”

“It will be.”

\--

Raven opens her arms to Sinclair. It feels like a lifetime has passed since they last saw each other. She doesn't question his choice to join them; she would've done the same thing. 

Sinclair doesn't say a word either. He simply holds her close for a long time. Eventually he has to give way to four younger ones, who wrap her up in a hug in a tangle of limbs. 

She's by no means their mother, but still they're her own. Her family. 

Clarke greets her with a smile, and all that's left is Bellamy. He moves forward leisurely. Raven can't jump into his arms, but she wishes she could. Bellamy leans down so their lips can meet in a kiss so gentle it takes her breath away. When he wraps his arms around her, she rests against his chest just for a moment. 

“Where's Octavia?”

“She's with Indra.” 

“Can we talk?” he asks softly. 

Raven looks to Wells, who nods. “Sure.”

He takes her back in between the trees, away from the noise and their responsibilities. She waits for him to speak up. 

“You let me leave.”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“You asked me to.”

“And?”

“I knew you needed to.”

Bellamy rubs his jaw. “I yelled at Wells.”

“I'm sure he didn't mind.” 

“You knew?”

“You needed to tell someone. I already knew.” 

“Why him?” 

“You and Wells have something --”

“I'm in love with you.” 

“I know.” She does. “I love you too.” 

He rests their foreheads together. His features are unfocused, but she knows he's smiling. 

\--

They slip out of bed in the dead of night. It feels colder than during the day even though Monty couldn’t fall asleep. Miller looks displeased like usually, and Harper’s eyes are a little glassy. They’ve been following the man Clarke was after for what feels like ages while also mapping the restricted areas of the mountain. Their search has been one big dead-end so far. 

_He went to talk to the President once more. He felt breathless, like it was all close to coming to an end and there was nothing he could do about it. The President seemed to speak in riddles. Or Monty's too shaken up to understand a single word._

Maya witnesses Lieut Emerson disappear through an unknown door by accident. She was heading home from the medical center when she saw him, and quickly their plan to go investigate was born. 

_”We have lived beneath the ground for years on end. With no place to go, we've accepted our future in the dark. We fought for survival just like you did. Surely you can understand what survival does to a dying people, gripping onto life desperately.” The President looked to him, but in his eyes he was somewhere far away._

They move quietly, but every sound is magnified by the mountain walls. Harper’s hand is in Maya’s as they make their way to the right hallway. Monty's heart beats in his ears. 

“It's locked”, Maya says. Her voice sounds too loud and it startles him. They stand in front of a door. Before answers.

“I'll get it”, Miller grunts and pushes past her. 

Monty doesn't know what he does, but the old lock makes a distant click and another. He pushes the door open like it's nothing, the muscles of his arms tight. The air that hits them is stale and humid. 

_Monty cleared his throat, and the President focused again. He grabbed Monty’s arm tightly, his skin waxy in the light. “Surely you did things to survive. We all made a choice. We chose to... to fight, to persevere. What else could we do? To fall into despair is to have lost already.”_

\--

“So all we need to do is take the dam, hike up some air vents, capture their leaders, find all our people, and get out unharmed?” 

The looks Raven receives aren't making her feel the most trusting. 

“To put it simply...” 

“The dam has the best ways in. The real pathways are obviously monitored the most. They don't know we have the blueprints of the mountain. So they won't know where we hit.” 

Bellamy looks calm as he speaks. It helps. 

“You'll come for the tunnels, right?” 

Indra nods. “We won't leave our people there.” 

“I still think --”

Everyone's shaking their heads as soon as Anya speaks up. They won't risk her getting hurt. 

“Raven and Lexa will stay at the dam and figure out how it's shut down. We shouldn't have to do it, but it's something to hold over them in case they give us trouble. The rest of us will go in. Clarke will lead Jones and Roma to the control room, where they'll help us find the others.” 

“They still have guns and we don't”, Mbege says. 

“We've agreed to allow you to take whatever's left of the weapons not yet repurposed.” Anya glances at Indra. “It was not a tough decision to reach.” 

“There's more inside the mountain. We'll take what we can get.”

“This is not a revenge mission either way.” 

A silence falls. They all know what needs to be done. They know what they're risking and what lines they aren't willing to cross. 

Bellamy's hand touches Raven's shoulder. “We'll leave in fifteen.” 

In such small numbers, the journey won't take long. Lexa refuses to admit to any pain, while Raven had no other choice but to agree to being carried if she wanted to come. Lincoln tells her it's no problem for him to piggyback her the whole way, and she can't figure out if it's worse than the stretcher. 

Indra will lead the groundspeople to the tunnels to retrieve the bodies. They won't come any further, though based on Indra's stormy expression, she does not agree with the decision. 

Raven’s attaching her new brace when Sinclair sits next to her. He doesn't say anything for a long while, but when he does, his voice is gruff and wavering.

“We don't really talk enough, you and I, Reyes.”

“Usually we don't have to.”

Sinclair glances at her with a slight smile. “Sometimes we should.”

She waits.

“I watched you launch yourself into a freefall through space. The radio never worked. You were as good as dead, and I knew I put you there.”

“Sinclair...”

“You're the bravest kid I know, Reyes. Your brother -- We lose people we love. In life. It's a part of it. But I wanted you to know. Now that we're still here. That I love you, kiddo.” 

She gives him a watery smile. “I love you too.” 

He wraps his arm around her shoulders, and she leans into him, letting herself be reminded of what they're all doing this for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternatively titled 'everybody loves raven'


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huge writer's block noding new dere. but i'm not giving up on this ! 
> 
> warning for minor character death n mentions of the gory stuff that went down before

Jasper is on the table. He knows he shouldn’t be, but he’s there, his eyes staring up blankly and his skin gray. Monty can’t stop his feet from moving towards him. 

Before he woke up last time, it was Harper. Before that it was Bellamy. Before that his mom. He knows he’s asleep, but he can’t get himself to wake up until dead eyes turn to look at him and his wrist is gripped tightly by cold hands. 

He starts awake, clawing the covers off him to breathe. When his eyes get used to the dark, he sees another pair staring back. Miller’s just inches away under the crumpled blankets. The cold sweat dries on his skin quickly and he gets back under them. 

“Again?” 

Monty nods. He feels the warmth of Miller’s skin before his hand finds Monty’s hip. 

“Who was it now?”

“J-Jasper.” 

Miller’s fingers skim the edge of his shirt to his back. The touch is comforting - a distraction. “Sorry.” 

“What did you get?”

“I didn’t fall asleep yet.”

Monty watches him. He’s shirtless under the blanket, but he can’t make out anything in the dark. His shoulder rises and falls with his breathing. 

He trails a finger over a collarbone and up the other. “What are we gonna do?” 

“Now? Nothing.”

Monty rolls his eyes without caring if Miller can see it or not. “You know what I mean.”

“We get out of here.”

“They're killing us. They killed Dax and a bunch of other people and dissected them like pieces of meat --”

“Hey.” Miller’s voice is low but stern. “We'll get out of here. We'll stick together and we'll be okay. Trust me.” 

“I do. It's them I don't trust.”

Miller smiles, just lightly. 

“Did you notice Dax was gone?” Monty asks. 

“I didn’t know anyone was gone but Clarke.”

“There were at least four bodies.” 

“You’re sure?”

“Dax... three legs... and the covered body.” He adds with his fingers, pressing each against Miller’s arm. “Maybe it's not true, but I can see them in my dream.” 

“We need a plan. In the morning.” 

“I don't wanna die here, Miller. I don't.”

“We'll get out.”

Miller’s hand catches his elbow. Monty can see he'll try to comfort him more, moving slightly closer. Before he can talk, Monty cuts the distance between them. He's a little off in the dark, but Miller fits their lips together easily. 

Monty's not the most familiar with kissing. Miller brushes their noses together before his tongue presses lightly over the seam of his mouth. His lips open with a soft gasp. His teeth feel like they're in the way, but he must be doing something right. 

“Monty”, Miller starts, his voice strained. 

“In case we don't”, Monty says before he can finish. He doesn't finish his own thought either, but Miller understands. 

The next kiss he gives him is less contained, his breathing shakier. Monty feels Miller’s pulse under his fingertips on his neck. The skin is slightly scratchy with a whatever-o'clock shadow, but smoothes back down his neck, to his shoulders and chest. He'd joke about his inability to grow much hair as his nails scratch over the curls on Miller’s chest, but it's not the time. 

Miller tugs him against his body as the kisses grow more heated. His lips move down to Monty’s jaw. Miller’s back is all smooth skin besides the large scar that stretches over his shoulder. Monty bites down a groan when Miller’s teeth graze his neck. 

And really, he's too young to die. He wants to see his parents again, he wants to live in peace. He wants to see Miller naked. He's not done yet. 

Monty kisses Miller’s cheek as he pulls away. Miller takes his hand, letting their fingers tangle loosely in the space between them. Monty lets his eyes fall shut.

\--

They reach the mouth of the tunnels at night. It feels too soon, but they're here. There's no storm in the air, no electricity. The wind is soft on their cheeks. 

Wells takes Lincoln’s hand. He won’t go in with his people to the tunnels. Wells hasn’t asked if he wanted to. Now he thinks he should’ve. Lincoln watches Indra lead the group in, his jaw tight. 

They continue towards the dam. The rush of the water covers all other noise under it. The sunset’s left behind the mountain, leaving them in the shade. On the side of the dam, the ground rises into a steep uphill. 

Bellamy, Mbege and Lincoln scale up first while the rest of them wait. Though there’s no chance of it, Wells imagines he can hear the sounds of a struggle. Bellamy’s waving them to follow before he can start to worry too much. 

Wells and Jones help Raven out. The ground is loose and dry so they slip and stumble up the hill. Raven’s face is tight with pain as they finally climb over a banister and onto a concrete landing. Bellamy has a large gun strapped across his chest. Their faces show matching silent determination. 

Inside the dam, two men in protective suits lie unconscious. They stand in silence, all looking but not looking. 

“Where are the cameras?” Clarke asks finally. 

Mbege points towards the doorway. 

“You ready? We gotta get this done at once.” Bellamy looks to each of them. “Everyone know where they’re heading?” A collective nod. “You got your radios?” 

Wells’ fingers clench around the object on his belt. They have no way of being sure they’ll work inside the mountain. 

“We’ve got this”, Bellamy says. “Let’s go.” 

Lexa and Raven stay behind as planned. Raven gives him a weak smile. 

“Don’t look so worried. My part is easy.” 

She and Bellamy share a curt nod before he opens the door with the guards’ keys. Wells can hear Lexa mutter something to Lincoln just as he’s stepping inside. 

“Don’t let them take you alive”, she whispers.

\-- 

“Monty. Monty! Wake up!” 

Miller’s voice snaps him into consciousness. He sits up, just barely missing slamming his head into the bottom of the top bunk. Miller's already up and dressed. “What?”

“Harper’s not here.”

“Where is she?”

“I don't know. I woke up and she wasn't here.” 

“Shit.” Monty starts tugging on his clothes. “How long have you been up?” 

“Not for long. I already checked the dining hall.” 

Monty takes a couple of deep breaths to stay calm. “Give me two minutes.”

In the time it takes him to swirl a toothbrush in his mouth and visit the restroom, he's made sure Harper's not in the bathroom either. He and Miller go searching through the mountain. They make sure not to seem worried, like they're looking. But they can't find Harper.

They regroup and head back to the dorms. 

“I haven't seen Maya either. Maybe they're together.”

“No one was at Maya's”, Monty says miserably. “She's gone, isn't she? She's gonna end up on that table just like --”

“Monty”, Miller interrupts him. They've reached the doors of the dormitory, but he stops outside them. “We've been walking in circles all day. There's a chance we've just missed her.”

He lets out a sigh. “Okay.”

Miller reaches for the door handle and stumbles as the door doesn't give. They can see the others inside, unaware of their presence. The door rattles as he pushes at it again, but it doesn't open. “What the...”

Monty jolts at the cool pressure against the back of his neck. “Miller”, he rasps out. The boy turns to him and his eyes widen. 

“Hands where I can see them. After you”, a calm voice says. 

Miller starts walking, now glaring daggers at the floor. Monty can't hear the click of the safety lever over the beating of his pulse, but he can feel it. 

“Go on”, Emerson says, nudging him forward. 

Monty follows Miller with stiff steps. 

\-- 

Clarke’s memory is laser sharp. She moves through the mountain corridors confidently, only stopping to avoid being seen. She predicted there won't be an alarm even if they're spotted through the cameras. 

What she didn't predict is them rounding a corner and coming face to face with Cage Wallace. He doesn't seem as surprised to see them, but then again he has a poker face to envy. Clarke holds up the handgun she got from Anya and points it at the man. 

“Mr. Wallace.”

“Ms. Griffin.” Cage’s lips curve in a sneer. 

The woman he was talking to looks ready to faint. Clarke knows if she looked closer she'd probably recognize her, so she doesn't. They direct the two to lead them to the control room at gunpoint. 

The men inside the room aren't armed enough to stand a chance. They're tied up with little fight after Cage tells them to do as said. It's all gone too well, and Clarke's nervous. 

Jones takes control of the monitors. He flicks through feeds almost too fast, and Clarke tells him to go back. 

The dorms are full, but there's something wrong with the image. “Get the one outside.”

The camera shows two armed men standing outside the doors. Clarke turns to Cage. 

“What's going on?”

“An unfortunate incident. It's for everyone's safety.”

Bellamy holds out a radiophone. “Tell your men to let them go.” 

“I can't do that”, Cage says calmly. 

“We have the dam. You have nothing.”

“Sorry.”

“Go get the President. He'll listen to reason.” Clarke doesn't take her eyes off Cage. “He wants what's best for his people.”

Bellamy takes Lincoln and Wells with him, leaving Mbege to watch the guards. Clarke hasn't stopped her staring contest with the President’s son. 

“My father won't let you do this any more than I will.”

“He’ll do what's right for the people of this mountain.”

Cage scoffs. “He's an old fool! He doesn't understand there's no miracle that'll get us out of this place. He doesn't get it requires work! And sacrifices.”

Clarke watches him for a while. “You know about the room, don't you?” 

“You think I wouldn't know everything that goes on within these walls?”

“Clarke”, Jones calls, “I lost him.”

“What do you mean?”

“The President. I can't find him anymore.”

“Keep looking. There's only so many areas without cameras.”

“Oh my god. Look!” 

Clarke peers at the monitor Jones’ pointing at. “Shit.” She rushes to open the door and drag the two girls into the control room. Harper stares at her like she’s seen a ghost. 

“You’re... You were gone.” 

“I was. I came back.” 

Harper hugs her so tightly it nearly pushes the air out of his lungs. Clarke strokes her back soothingly. She meets Maya’s eyes as Harper flings herself at Monroe and Roma, who catch her in a hug. 

“Hey.” 

“I’m glad you’re okay, Clarke.” 

“Where were you? Everyone else - they’re locked up in the dorms.” 

“What?” 

“How are we getting out?” Harper asks as she finishes greeting her friends. “Miller and Monty and we... we tried to find a way.” 

Maya’s noticed Cage. “Shit. This is really happening.” 

“We have no intention of hurting anyone”, Clarke gives him a sharp look, “as soon as they let us leave.” 

Cage seems uninterested in them. “We can’t let you do that. You know why.” 

“We all do”, Maya says coldly. 

“Do you know where the President is, Maya?” 

“No. We were elsewhere... looking for something.” She glances at Harper. 

“We need to keep looking! Clarke... We need to go.” 

“You can’t go anywhere, Harper. They’ve rounded up the others into the dorms. You can’t leave.” 

“It’s fine. I’ll go alone.” 

“My...” 

She cups Harper’s face between her hands. “It’s fine.” 

Clarke’s brows rise as she presses a kiss to the other girl’s lips. Maya leaves the control room without looking at the rest of them. 

“Damn. I swear everyone’s getting some nowadays”, Monroe huffs. 

“For fuck’s sake.” Roma grabs the front of their shirt and pulls them into a kiss. 

Clarke can’t help smiling as she shakes her head lightly at the two. She notices Cage looking at her and all lightness drains out of her instantly. She stares back blankly. 

“Ready to do as I say yet?”

“See... how do I know you’re not bluffing? I don’t think you’ll hurt anyone. I don’t think you can.” 

“You and I both know a thing or two about surviving, Cage. We will shut down the dam. And I won’t hesitate to let your people know what you’ve done.” 

“How do you know they won’t thank me? We’ve actually _worked_ to ensure the survival of our people.”

“And what? You’d experiment on us like you did with the groundspeople?” 

Cage doesn’t reply. 

“You already have... haven’t you?” Clarke returns to the monitors. “Jones, show me the dorms. How many of them are there?”

The silence is tense as they count over and over. 

“I got 39.” 

“I did 40.” She shakes her head. “We’re too late.” 

Harper grabs the gun Clarke had set on on the desk and points it at Cage’s head. They all move a step closer, but Harper raises her hand. “Don’t. _He_ is going to tell them to open the doors. Or I’m going to kill him.” 

\--

“Fuck.” Raven leans her head against the wall. 

Lexa turns her head from the door to look at her, raising a brow. “What’s wrong with you?” 

“Nothing.” 

“The door’s locked, we’ve got things under control. You don’t have to stand by.” 

She waves her off. 

“What’d they do to you?” 

“Not them. It was one of us.” 

Lexa gets up and walks over to her. She holds up the hem of her shirt. The marks on her hip are still surrounded by deep purple bruising. “We’ve all got battle scars, huh.” 

Raven glances down at her brace and huffs out a short laugh. “I guess.” 

They’re both startled by the static of a radio. The guards are still unconscious, so the message plays freely. 

“The hostiles have taken over the control room. Keep your position.”

\--

He can't fight back. His limbs weigh like lead and his chest is tight. Moss grows from the ceiling just like in his dreams. He'll die on this table. 

Miller’s voice filters in and out of his mind. He's yelling, sometimes begging, rattling the bars he's handcuffed to. 

The strap bites into his wrist as it's fastened tightly. Emerson moves onto the final one. He can't fight back. 

There's a different noise. Emerson lets out a sigh and walks out of his line of sight. With great effort, Monty turns his head. Emerson disappears behind the corner and the door opens and shuts with a bang. 

“Monty. Monty. Look at me, please.” 

He locks eyes with Miller, and some of the weight is gone. His wrists are bloody where he's tried to force the cuffs off. 

“Please fight, Monty. Please.” 

He wants to. But he feels so heavy.

“Please, Monty.”

His leg jerks in the loosely placed constraints. 

“Yeah! Come on!”

The sound of the door going has both of them freezing. Dr. Tsing takes careful steps into the room. She takes one look of Monty, and she's as frozen as they are.

“Help him!” Miller shouts. 

Dr. Tsing springs into action. She starts opening the straps, her fingers slipping on the worn leather. Monty doesn't even pick up on the loud noise that comes from the tray the doctor sends clattering to the floor as she bumps into it. 

But Dr. Tsing stops before he's completely free. Emerson stands in front of them with his gun on Dr. Tsing. 

“What have you done, Carl?”

“What needed to be done.”

“They're children!” Dr. Tsing cries out. 

“They're our chance of getting out of here. We can use their blood, their bone marrow --”

“Carl, that's madness! The science - it’s not developed far enough. You can only manage the symptoms --”

Two things happen at once.

Miller pushes himself up and jumps Emerson. The gun goes off. 

For a second time stands still. Miller crawls back quickly as Emerson still holds the gun. Dr. Tsing collapses to the floor. 

Emerson’s quickly back to his feet. “‘The science isn’t developed far enough’ - I’ve worked on this for years! The only thing slowing us down is following the rules!” His eyes bug out of his head as he screams at Dr. Tsing’s unmoving body. “I can cure us! I can liberate us! I can --” 

His voice turns into a gurgle and blood begins to pour out of his mouth. Miller lets go of the scalpel, leaving it sticking out from the man’s neck. Emerson falls to his knees before his body slumps down on the floor. 

An alarm starts blaring.

\-- 

Wells gapes at the radio in his hand. “What are they doing?”

Lincoln shakes his head. “It must be a private channel.” 

“How would he get to the radio?”

Bellamy sighs. “Clarke.” 

“She wouldn’t trust him --” 

“Wells?” Clarke’s voice comes through the radio. 

“Yeah? What the hell is going on?”

“We had a situation. It’s handled now but... you might get company.”

Bellamy grabs the radio from him. “We’re not gonna get very far if you don’t get eyes on him.” 

“We’re working on it. Wait - guys, go left. Right now. Go. He’s right by... Oh no.”

Clarke falls silent. Bellamy’s already pushing forward and Lincoln follows him. Wells waits for her voice to return. The silence continues. He can’t make himself call for her. 

Bellamy walks back first, his face expressionless. He doesn’t stop for him and just keeps going. Wells can’t read Lincoln’s face when he returns. Lincoln takes hold of the radio in his hand. 

“Let’s go home.” 

Wells lets go and pushes past him. He rounds the corner. 

Moonlight floods the corridor through the open door. He walks through it. 

People run around in the grass, reaching their arms up towards the night sky. Wells stops in the doorway. He can feel Lincoln’s presence behind him, but he doesn’t speak. 

“Our future is here! We have reached the light!” the people chant. An old man stands in the middle of them, his eyes closed, the moonlight making his skin appear paper-thin. 

“There’s nothing we can do for them now”, Lincoln says quietly. “They’ve chosen their fate.” 

“What’s going to happen to them?” 

“It depends...”

“How long?” 

“Weeks... maybe months. There used to be an active nuclear plant not too far from here. The levels never went down like they should have.”

Wells sighs. “Let’s go.”

\--

They all stare at the screen in silence, watching the President lead people out the door. The alarm is ringing throughout the mountain and the people unaware of what’s going on are scrambling to safety on the lower levels. 

“I need to find Maya.” Harper runs out of the room.

“Bellamy? What’s going on?” Raven’s voice comes through the radio. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll be out soon”, Bellamy’s voice answers. 

“The air filters have been disabled.” Jones’ fingers fly over the keyboard. “I can’t turn them back on. An override code was used.” 

“Did you know about this?” Clarke turns to Cage. 

Cage’s eyes haven’t left the feed of his father. 

“We’ll go find Harper.” Mbege pulls Jones gently away from the computer. 

Bellamy holds a hand out for the gun in Clarke’s. “Let’s go get our friends.” 

She whips her hand back, driving the grip into the side of Cage’s head. The man goes down with a dull thud. Clarke places the gun in Bellamy’s hand. “Let’s.” 

\--

“Miller? Hey.” Monty’s knees buckle as he gets off the table. He steps into the pool of blood and stumbles back. Miller’s still standing next to the body. “Miller... Nathan.” 

He finally looks up, his eyes swimming. Monty reaches for him and pulls him in. Miller slumps against him, his shoulders shaking as he sobs into his neck. Monty can’t make words of comfort come out. 

Eventually Miller pulls away, wiping his eyes. “Come on. We gotta go.” 

Monty nods. He crouches down by Dr. Tsing and gently closes her eyes. 

Miller helps him step around and they walk out together. The alarm is still going off and the hallways are empty. They head towards the dorms. 

“What is going on?” Monty’s ears are ringing and he can barely hear his own voice. 

They round the corner and on the floor of the corridor Harper and Maya are wrapped up in an embrace. Maya’s in a bright yellow suit, a tank of oxygen on her back. As they get closer, they can hear both of them crying softly. 

“Harper, what’s --” He can’t finish the sentence as Harper’s hugging him too tightly. She’s still crying, wet strands of hair sticking to his cheek. 

“I thought you were dead”, she whispers. 

“Me too.” 

Harper pulls back and wipes the transferred tears off his skin. “They’ve opened the doors.”

“They’re letting us go?” 

She shakes her head. “President Wallace, he’s... he’s out of his mind. He thinks Clarke coming back is a sign it’s their time to ascend or something. It’s mass suicide.” 

Monty’s mouth is stuck open and he turns to Maya. “You’re...”

“We went looking for a spare suit earlier when we noticed the dorms were closed off. The air filters are turned off. There are people stuck on the lower levels... they’ll either have to suffocate to death or come out.” 

“Where were you?” Maya asks, her voice hoarse. “You’re all... covered in blood. What happened?”

Monty glances at Miller. “We were with Emerson. He --”

“He’s dead”, Miller says simply. 

Harper just nods. “Good.” 

“Wait”, Monty rubs his eyes, “you said Clarke’s back?” 

“They came to get us. They’re here. Clarke got out and they came back for us.” 

Miller holds out a hand. “Let’s get out of here then.” 

Monty lets himself be helped up. 

\--

Raven points the gun at the door as the noises continue behind it. She has her finger on the trigger while Lexa bounces on the balls of her feet, a knife clasped in her hand. At the sight of Bellamy’s curls, she lets the gun drop. 

Bellamy’s arms open for her instantly. “I’m okay”, he mutters into her hair. 

“What the hell happened in there?” 

“We’re leaving.” 

“Where are the others?” 

Bellamy gives her a tired look. “We’re taking the front door.” 

Lexa walks in without another word. Bellamy rests his forehead against Raven’s and sighs heavily. 

“I know what you’re thinking”, Raven says softly. “You didn’t cause this.” 

Bellamy makes a noncommittal noise. Raven kisses the corner of his mouth.

“Let’s get the hell out of this place.” 

“Please.” 

They follow after Lexa, through the steam of decontamination and into the mountain. The empty hallways are eerie, not a soul in sight. 

“I can’t wait to see O again”, she says, because she has to say something to distract herself from the thought of her friends in this place for weeks. 

“I don’t wanna be away from her again.”

“Might be time to settle down.” 

“You think?” 

Raven takes his hand and they keep going.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** mentions of the people who emerson killed, a character is shot to death, another is stabbed, the mountain people will all die sooner than later n they cause this themselves
> 
>  
> 
> ik it's kinda messy but i did not have the words to make it more detailed after the block yall know dialogue is easier for me. but yea i'm happy to have finished it bc i rly wanted to. there'll be an epilogue but probably nothing more 
> 
> i've been reading about radiation poisoning n it's obvs not like t100's doing it bc the radiation levels are not at a dozen nuclear bombs level anymore but still they'll die now that they're exposed n for lame plot reasons it won't take years
> 
> also s/o to my random minor ships in the bg monroe's my fave nb lesbian n roma's the best (hija)bi


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly if you don't think this is 100% self-gratifying, barely plot-serving, mostly gay mush idk who you are. 
> 
> i thank you all who've actually followed this story n possibly enjoyed it i can feel my journey w t100 coming to an end soon n i can't wait
> 
> warnings for mentions of people dying and symptoms of ptsd

Wells holds up the screwdriver without taking his eyes off the book he’s reading. It’s old and faded, but he can’t put it down. Anya turned it over to his care after they returned from the mountain. 

“I used to love astronomy as a kid”, she told him. “I suppose you have a more distinctive view of it.” 

“I don’t think I’ll ever miss it”, he replied, leafing carefully through the pages. “This is beautiful, though. Thank you.” 

“It doesn’t hurt to look back sometimes.” Anya got up from the library bench and dusted herself off. “Nebulae are my favorite. You can find more about them in The Archives’ library.” 

He’d simply blinked at her. “How did you --”

“I’m known to be very wise, Wells”, Anya said with a playful smile before heading back outside. 

He would’ve never guessed he’d become so intrigued by humans’ fascination with space. Lincoln says his thirst for knowledge is endless. He lets him tease since Lincoln rarely bothers him when he has a book in his hands. And when he does, Wells does _not_ mind. 

Raven grabs the screwdriver from him as she passes. She flashes him a smile over her shoulder as a thanks. Seeing her smile really is something he’s grateful for. 

“Wells...” Lincoln sits next to him on the bench. “Can you give me a sec?” 

“Yes”, Wells says, eyes already glued back to the pages. He can feel Lincoln’s unimpressed look. “Yes.” He closes the book carefully and gives Lincoln a smile. “Yes.” 

“Thank you.” Lincoln gives him a quick kiss. “You haven’t told everyone about us going yet.” 

Wells opens his mouth but nothing comes out. “Yes?” 

“Why not?” 

“Because... because.” 

Lincoln takes his hand. “I thought you wanted this.”

“I do!” Wells leans into him. “It’s just that... they don’t.” 

“We’re not leaving for good.” 

“We’re family. You don’t walk out on family.” 

“You’re not walking out on them. You’re starting your life”, Lincoln smiles almost shyly, “with me.” 

“And I couldn’t be happier. It’s just been a tough year. We’ve settled into a routine here. It’s hard to break that.” 

“It’s okay to do what you wanna do for once.” 

“I know. I'll tell them first thing tomorrow. I promise.” 

“Okay.” He's moving to get up, but Wells pulls him back with a hand on his neck to catch his lips in a kiss. Lincoln laughs softly. “ _Okay._ ” 

\--

Raven straps on her brace and gets going. She's more or less the handyman of the village now, and she's not against the title in the slightest. It's no space station, but the routine’s kept her mind at ease. 

First she's promised to fix the light in Nyko’s house. The tasks aren't the most titillating, but she's learned to appreciate everything ordinary. Besides, her workshop overflows with plans and drawings of new inventions she's envisioned in her spare time. Over time her main focus has shifted to creating an accessible environment for herself and the other disabled members of the community. She's got her hands more than full. 

“Morning”, she wishes Nyko as she gets to the house. There's a pair of boots she recognizes by the door, but she doesn't mention it. 

“Good morning to you too, Ms Raven. How are you?”

“All good. Just can't seem to find anything today.” She sets her satchel on the table and rummages through it. “So which light was it?”

“Um, actually it's no longer a problem.” Nyko doesn't meet her eyes right away. “But I was wondering if you'd have a look at the solar panels.” 

“Of course.” Raven heads back to the door. “Say hi to Sinclair for me”, she says lightly.

Nyko just shakes his head at her victorious grin. 

Sinclair’s given nothing away about his relationship with the healer. The two became friends soon after his arrival, but Raven had given him the benefit of the doubt at first. There'd been no one since the death of his husband, which was before Raven even joined his team. So she was more than pleasantly surprised to notice something had ignited between the two. 

She’s found her happiness in the people around her. She wants the same for him. 

“Hey!” Roma leans against the wall next to the ladders she’s setting up. “You need any help?”

“I’m good, thanks.” 

“You sure? I know you’re almighty, Reyes, but I think ladders take two legs.” 

She presses her lips together. “Fine.” Roma switches places with her, politely keeping from grinning too much like an ‘I told you so’. “I’ve done it before”, Raven grouches. 

“I believe you.” Roma gets all the way up to the roof. “So what am I looking at here?”

“The second one.”

“Oh yeah, I see the crack. What should I do?”

“Let’s get it down.” 

Roma does as she says, grunting under the weight of the panel. “How were you gonna do this yourself?” she asks as she gets down. 

“Can’t reveal all my secrets.” 

“You’re a real dream, Raven.” 

“So I’ve been told. Now you be a sweetheart and take auntie Raven’s solar panel to her workshop.” 

“I take it back. You’re a monster. I don’t work for you.” 

“Thank you, dear.” Raven kisses the top of her head. There’s a malfunctioning computer with her name on it that she needs to get to. “Have you seen my screwdriver, though?”

“Don’t you have a bunch?” 

“Yeah, but my favorite one. I lent it to Monty the other day and I haven’t gotten it back yet.” 

“Poor baby.” 

“Don’t sass me, young lady.” 

Roma lifts up the panel again. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go have flirty banter with Mo.” 

“Aw. Your date... friend?”

“Yes. My date friend.” Roma rolls her eyes and walks off. 

“That’s fine! I’ll find Monty by myself!”

Roma waves without looking back.

\--

Harper knocks on the doorframe before walking in. Maya gives her a tired smile from her bunk on the floor. 

“Hey”, she whispers. 

“Hi.” Harper lies down next to her. “How are you feeling?” 

“Like someone who’s had a bunch of tests done on them.” 

“I know.” 

Maya closes her eyes and breathes deeply. “I don’t think I’m dying, though. Yet.” 

“A+ for the optimism.” Harper kisses the frown between her brows. 

“Is the sun out? I’d like to go see it. While I still can.” 

“Where did the optimism go?” She brushes her hair back. “Do you want the suit?” 

“No, I...” Maya opens her eyes to look at her. “No more suit.” 

“You sure?”

“I was given a second chance, H. I love the world outside. I love it. And I love you. I want to use the time I have and just live my life. You know? I’m not gonna live to be eighty. I know that. And it’s okay. I’m okay.” Maya wipes the tear drop off her nose. “You’ll be too.” 

“You don’t deserve this. You deserve to be eighty. With me.” 

“You won’t be far off, babe. With what your body’s been through with the whole space travel... You could be dead before me.” 

“There she is.” Harper pushes herself up and holds out her hands. “Let’s go spend some time with the sun, then.” 

“Ugh”, Maya groans, “that requires getting up.” 

“I’ve gotten a little more buff.” Harper shrugs. “I can try to carry you.” 

“You wish.” Maya takes her hands and Harper drags her up. She squeezes her bicep thoughtfully. “Actually, maybe...” 

“You’re so lucky, huh?” 

“Super.” Maya wraps her arms around her neck. “This is the part where you kiss me.” 

When they kiss, they don’t remember the death that has surrounded their lives for the past six months. It’s when they’re just two teenage girls in love. 

“I’ll race you.”

“Hilarious.” 

They pass Raven on their way outside. She gives them a distracted smile before disappearing deeper into the tunnels. 

“Space did y’all good”, Maya says absentmindedly. “Was there a Raven Reyes fan club on The Ark?”

“Oh yeah. I was the vice president.” 

“Can I join?” 

“I don’t know. It’s pretty full.” 

“Good thing I’m sleeping with the vice president.” 

Harper laughs. “Right?”

Maya closes her eyes as they step outside into the sun. “God, that smell. I'll never get used to it.”

“What does it smell like?” Harper asks. She's not looking at the view either. 

“Life.”

\--

If he could, he'd let himself be swallowed up by Miller’s warmth. In it lives and breathes the good things they come across. His dad’s tears when they meet again, Miller’s father’s palm in his, even the sun-warm soil on his mom’s grave. 

They're not well. Not yet. Monty can't wake up on his back, and Miller folds in on himself at the sight of blood. But the mountain dies and they do not. 

“Wait, wait, wait”, Miller pants out, pushing his searching lips away. 

“What?” Monty sits up on his hips, rumpled but so, so warm. 

Miller twists with his hand reaching somewhere under himself. He comes up with a tool. “Are you kidding me?”

Monty takes the screwdriver from him. “Oops. I was supposed to give this back to Raven. I swear it's the best one to get a grip of...” Miller’s raised brows stifle his explanation. “Sorry. Where were we?” 

“I think you were saying something like ‘oh my god, get your clothes off’ as you tackled me into your toolbox.” 

“Are you sure? That doesn't sound like me...” 

Miller kisses the grin off his face. The screwdriver drops on the floor.

He doesn't care for it until he steps on it while getting redressed and nearly topples over. “Ouch, fuck. Stop laughing, Miller, I could've died.”

“I'm not laughing.” Miller opens one eye lazily. “But you kinda deserved it.”

“I'm hurt. You're so mean.”

“You're into it.”

“You got me!” Monty throws himself on top of him on the bed. “You're such a fine specimen, Nathan Miller, I'm forever under your spell.”

“Whatever”, Miller huffs. “Get out of here. I wanna sleep.”

“This is my bed.” Monty trails kisses over the back of his neck. “But I guess I owe you after that. I'll come get you for lunch, yeah?”

Miller nods, his eyes falling back shut. Monty leaves one more kiss on his cheek before rolling out. 

“I can _too_! Monty, tell her I could build a house!”

He looks up to see he's being stared down by Clarke and Lexa. “Uh... Do I have to?”

Lexa smirks, while Clarke gawks at him. “I trusted you, Monty.”

“If the power of will was enough, you probably could.” Monty pats her shoulder. “Hey, can you give this to Raven when you see her? Thanks.”

The screwdriver is Clarke's problem now. He slips away from the situation. He might as well get some work done while Miller sleeps. 

He likes it best when they're together, when his hand can find Miller's whenever. The panic hasn't taken over in a while and the night terrors seem to have ended. He doesn't need as much sleep during the day as Miller anymore. 

Miller doesn't like talking about it, but he knows he and Bellamy talk often. Monty's fine with even if it's hard sometimes to hear about how his boyfriend’s doing from someone else. They fight occasionally but not often. It helps when they're both afraid of getting angry. Monty fears his mind will become slow like tar again like when he lost Jasper. Miller doesn't want to hurt anyone else. 

They're not well yet. But they're together. 

\--

The flowers the children weaved into Lexa’s hair stand out like stars against a night sky. Clarke finds her argumentation skills severely lacking when Lexa’s long, dark lashes brush the tops of her cheeks. It's not from lack of trying. All they seem to do is argue lately. 

“Come on.” Lexa takes her by the hand and they push through thick bushes. The river glimmers below them in the midday sun, but it's nothing compared to Lexa’s excited grin. 

“You're joking, right?”

“You scared?” Lexa raises a brow. 

Clarke's never been able to stand down from a challenge. She starts tugging her shirt over her head. Lexa laughs. 

She can't pretend she's only seeing how much healthier she's gotten. The bruises on her hips are gone, she notes, before her eyes follow the path of dark hair up to her belly button. Her slim arms stretch up, her breast pulled taut, the skin under her arms a shade darker below more curls. 

Lexa jumps in a clean arch and breaks the surface of the water smoothly. She resurfaces quickly, pushing heavy strands of hair off her face before grinning up to her. “Come on!”

Clarke stands on the edge of the cliff. She's never been good at letting go, either. 

“Come on!”

She takes the plunge. 

Lexa's laughing when she swims back to the surface. She splashes her lightly, not enough to cause retaliation. 

They float in silence until Clarke's body wears out. The flowers have come off. 

“I've been thinking”, she says to fill the silence on their way back. “I should build a house, right?”

Lexa scoffs. “Why would you do that?”

“Because we're staying here, obviously? You said it's tradition.”

“It is. But why would _you_ build a house?”

All they seem to do is argue lately, to have something to say. 

“Are you telling me I shouldn't or that I can't?”

Lexa shrugs. 

“That's real mature. Why do you think I can't build a house?”

“It's a lot of work --”

“I can _too_!” Clarke spots Monty coming out the tunnels. “Monty, tell her I could build a house!”

The boy grimaces. “Uh... Do I have to?”

Lexa's smirk is obnoxious.

“I trusted you, Monty.”

“If the power of will was enough, you probably could.” Monty gives her a pat on the shoulder before dropping a screwdriver in her hand. “Hey, can you give this to Raven when you see her? Thanks.” He's gone without waiting for a reply. 

Clarke blinks after him. Lexa gives a shrug when she looks to her. They keep walking towards Lexa's house. 

On the bench by a dead fire, Wells is lost in a book like he usually is these days. Lexa skips up the stairs to her door - because of course she had to have _stairs_. Clarke lays a hand on her best friend’s shoulder to announce her presence. 

“Hey. This is Raven’s, apparently. Mind giving it to her?”

“Sure.” Wells gives her an impatient smile and accepts the tool. 

Clarke leaves him to his reading. Lexa throws a towel at her when she gets into the house. They dry off and find a change of clothes. 

The clothes Clarke's claimed for herself are mixed with Lexa's in a drawer Mbege built for them. She doesn't really pay attention to whom the things she pulls on belong to. 

“I still don't get it”, Clarke says. 

“Did I _say_ you shouldn't?”

All they seem to do is argue lately, to not have to say what they really think. 

“No. But it sounded like it.” 

Lexa lets out an irritated sigh. “Maybe I figured you'll stay with me. Did you think about that?”

Clarke stares at her. Lexa's not meeting her eyes, instead glaring at the floor. 

“Oh.”

“Yeah, ‘oh’.” 

“Then why didn't you say that?”

“Because you're a fucking menace, Clarke, that's why!”

Lexa's eyes widen as she bursts into laughter. Clarke pulls her closer by her hips. 

“You only figured that out now?”

“Shut up”, Lexa grumbles. 

“Okay.” Clarke kisses her gently. Carefully. 

“I meant it. You're annoying”, Lexa says weakly without opening her eyes. 

“Uh-huh”, Clarke agrees. “Tell me more.”

Lexa huffs and shoves her away before stomping off, leaving Clarke cackling close to tears. 

\--

Jones has joined her by the time she finishes. He likes the company of computers sometimes more than people much like she does. 

Raven hands the computer over to his care for programming, leaving an oil stain on his cheek as she tickles it on her way out. She’s finished for the day. The sun is still high in the sky and people are outside enjoying the day. 

She passes Maya and Harper on a bench Mbege built, their heads tilted back towards the sun. “Hey, you guys seen Bell?” 

“Not in a while, sorry.” 

She’s not sure where Bellamy’s been all day. He keeps himself busy. Having the entire village taking care of Octavia has shifted his daily needs. It’s taken a while to get used to, but both Blakes seem happier than ever. 

Miller has Octavia in his arms, tipping the girl back and forth while she laughs. The mountain took a toll on a lot of them. Bellamy and Miller both have had to do unimaginable things. The blood on their hands doesn’t wash off easy. But they haven’t given up. 

“O, where’s your brother?” 

“There.” Octavia points towards a house, hanging upside down over Miller’s arm. 

The house is small and new. It’s only stood there for a couple of months, but Raven’s grown to love it quickly. It has large windows on the eastern side, two bedrooms, a tiny bathroom and a comfortable living area. It’s the perfect size for a small family. 

“You’re gonna make her lightheaded hanging her like that”, Raven calls back at Miller. 

“She likes it!” Miller yells back, but sets Octavia back to her feet. 

Wells is sitting on another bench just outside the house. He’s emerged in a book, but as Raven nears him, he holds up something. Raven takes the screwdriver, a grin spreading on her face. She doesn’t have to ask. 

Walking into the house feels like coming home. She noticed it after hanging up her necklace on the small hook she’d installed on the wall after the house finished. Finn is a part of her home. 

Bellamy stands by the windows, his arms crossed over his chest. Raven knows she can’t sneak up on him, not with the heavy gait of her brace, but he doesn’t turn around when she approaches. She wraps her arms around his waist and rests her forehead against the back of his shoulders. Bellamy lets out a sigh. 

“You’re holding a screwdriver.” 

“As smart as he is pretty.” 

Bellamy huffs and covers her hands with his own. “Are you done for the day?”

“Yeah.”

“Me too. Was just gonna shower before the party.” 

“Does it really count as a party? It’s kind of a memorial.”

“A celebration of life. I don’t know.” 

Raven presses a kiss to the back of his neck. “So about that shower...” 

\--

They gather at nightfall. There’s food and drink and music, and the mood is light. Raven leans against Bellamy’s chest, his arms around her. They watch Monty and Harper try to dance while Monroe and Jones cheer them on. Octavia’s fallen asleep in Lincoln’s lap. 

As they settle down, Anya gets up to talk. 

“We’re here on this night to commemorate the innocent who lost their lives. The mountain has fallen and will not hurt a soul again, but it took great loss. The last of the mountain men passed away yesterday morning. It’s been a long winter, but now spring is upon us, and we savor the chance to start again. 

Let us raise a glass to the fallen.” 

They lift their cups. Quietly but surely, names are called into the night sky. 

The victims of the mountain are called one by one. Indra calls the name of her son, Lexa the names of her friends. Those of the 48 who have stayed, whisper more. 

“Jake Griffin”, Clarke sighs. 

“Vincent Vie”, Maya says softly. “Maya Vie.”

“Jasper Jordan. Hannah Green.”

Raven and Monty share a sad smile. 

“Finn Collins.” 

The words leave her like a breath, light and free, joining the others to the stars they once lived by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wells n lincoln move to the archives to live w luna n emori n all their children. everyone lives for many many more years (many of which include maya w their research n testing with bone marrow) happily ever after 
> 
> i probably should have more to say but idk i hope this verse lives on in your hearts bc what's a t100


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